Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has warned that the state will no longer tolerate child marriage and any form of gender violence.
Governor AbdulRazaq, has therefore directed the full enforcement of laws protecting the rights and dignity of the girl child.
The governor stated this at a one-day media hangout, capacity training and policy advocacy for selected journalists, non governmental organisations and other key stakeholders in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The forum with the theme: “Safeguarding Our adolescents at homes, schools and community to reach their full potential,” was organised by Chidimma and Havilah Foundation in collaboration with the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
AbdulRazaq warned that early marriage poses a grave danger to girls’ health, future and freedom.
“Kwara State has domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and we are fully committed to its implementation.
“Early marriage is not only a violation of the Child Rights Act, it is a life-threatening menace that leads to complications like obstetric fistula and robs young girls of their dreams,” he said.
Represented by the Commissioner for Social Development, Dr. Mariam Nnafatima-Imam, the governor commended the Foundation and other NGOs that supported the advocacy, pledging his administration’s support to creating a good environment for adolescents in the state.
In his lecture, titled: “Empowering the Next Generation: The Media’s Role in Nurturing Safe Environments for Adolescents”, Kwara State director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alh Abdulganiyu Dare, reinforced the need for national mobilisation and grassroots advocacy to uphold the rights of every Nigerian child.
He noted that media literacy, parental responsibility, and sustained government action were key to reversing the trend of violence, neglect, and abuse facing Nigerian adolescents.
The NOA Director harped on the essential role media plays in shaping the future of adolescents and nurturing safe environments for them.
Earlier, chairman of the NUJ, Kwara State Council, Abdullateef Ahmed, drew attention to the alarming rise in technology-driven gender-based violence, citing recent cases of ritual-related killings involving young girls.
In his remarks, the founder of the Chidimma and Havilah Foundation, Mr. Tope Omotosho, who spoke through Miss Havilah Omotosho, emphasised the Foundation’s dedication to adolescent empowerment, particularly for vulnerable girls.
“Our partnership with the NUJ is to amplify advocacy and create mass awareness on how to protect adolescents, especially the girl-child, within the family, in schools, and in the workplace,” he said.
