Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration reaffirms commitment to empowering girls through education.
As the new academic session approaches, the Kwara State government has initiated a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness on the importance of girl child education across the state.
This initiative is part of the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure that every girl in Kwara has access to quality education.
The campaign, which began on August 16, 2024, in Kwara North, is spearheaded by Hon. Joana Nnazua Kolo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Girl Child Education. The event was attended by a diverse group, including parents, students, educators, traditional leaders, and government officials.
At the various sensitization events, Kolo stressed the transformative power of education for girls, highlighting how it can open doors to better career opportunities and elevate their social status.
She also urged parents to view their daughters as future leaders and professionals rather than limiting them to traditional domestic roles or early marriage.
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Drawing from her own life experience, Kolo shared how education has been a catalyst for her success. Appointed at the age of 26 as the youngest commissioner in Kwara State, she now serves as an Adviser to the Governor, a testament to the opportunities that education can provide.
The campaign also featured an interactive session where young girls expressed their aspirations to become doctors, teachers, and lawyers. Hon. Kolo encouraged parents to nurture these dreams by prioritizing their daughters’ education.
Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi also emphasized the critical role of education in empowering girls and improving communities.
The campaign received widespread appreciation from local communities, with many expressing gratitude to both Hon. Kolo and Governor AbdulRazaq for their dedication to advancing girl child education.
This awareness campaign is a collaborative effort between the state government, traditional leaders, and various stakeholders. Hon. Kolo and her team plan to extend the campaign to all three senatorial districts in Kwara State before concluding this impactful initiative.
The effort comes against the backdrop of disturbing statistics from UNICEF, which in 2022 estimated that 7.6 million girls in Nigeria were out of school. Since taking office in 2019, Governor AbdulRazaq has prioritized education for girls through initiatives like KwaraLEARN, payment of counterpart funds, and the provision of educational resources.
Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration stands out for its commitment to women’s empowerment. Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, no other governor in Kwara State has matched his record in appointing women to strategic positions.
In his first term, women made up 56% of his cabinet, and in 2023, he continued this trend by appointing 50% women to key roles, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to enhancing the social status of women in Kwara State.
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