Int’l Girl-Child Day: Abia, Lagos Deepen Commitment to Girls’ Education, Health, and Empowerment

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the 2025 International Day of the Girl-Child, Abia and Lagos States have renewed their commitment to strengthening education, healthcare, and empowerment opportunities for the girl child.

During a strategic summit organised by the United Nations Association of Nigeria (UNAN), in Lagos, on the theme: “The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontline of crisis”, state officials, women leaders, and advocates emphasized the need for concrete, inclusive policies that ensure every Nigerian girl can learn, lead, and thrive.

The First Lady of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, said the Nigerian adapted theme, “Health, Skills, and Empowerment: Investing in Every Girl’s Future,” captures the foundation upon which girls’ leadership and potential are built.

She noted that the Abia State Government has taken bold steps to promote girls’ well-being, including the inauguration of a Technical Working Group on Menstrual Hygiene to ensure that menstruation never becomes a barrier to education or dignity.

The state has also established a dedicated hotline for survivors of gender-based violence, offering immediate access to care and protection. “Health is not just an option; it is the non-negotiable foundation upon which empowerment is built,” she said.

Mrs. Otti added that Abia’s policy of free and compulsory education ensures that health and learning move together to give every girl a fair chance to succeed.

She highlighted the establishment of the Abia Leadership Academy, which mentors and prepares young women for leadership through confidence-building and connection to opportunities.

“A girl child is not voiceless – she has a voice. Our duty is to provide her with the microphone, the stage, and the audience to amplify it,” she stated.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, said Lagos remains a model state in girl-child development through its inclusive education and healthcare initiatives.

She noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the payment of WAEC examination fees for all public school students, ensuring that financial challenges never hinder access to secondary education.

Noting that Lagos offers free education, free healthcare, and multiple skill acquisition programmes to empower young girls across the state, she said: “our governor has brought healthcare closer to the grassroots, with functional primary healthcare centres and continuous awareness campaigns.”

In his welcome remarks, the President of UNA Nigeria, Prof. Oluremi Olutimo, recalled the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which first established the global framework for advancing girls’ rights, as well as the UN General Assembly’s Resolution 66/170 that declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child.

Despite global gains in education, health, and rights, he lamented that deep-rooted inequalities still hinder many girls, especially those from marginalized communities, stressing the need for stronger investments, supportive policies, and safe spaces that allow girls to thrive and lead.

He urged governments, organizations, and individuals to stand with girls by sharing their stories, celebrating their achievements, and creating environments where their leadership can flourish.

“When we invest in girls, we build a more equitable, just, and hopeful world – one where every girl has the opportunity to contribute to sustainable development, peace, and progress for all,” Prof. Oluremi posited.

Meanwhile, the Chair, Health Advocacy Committee, UNAN, Ekanem Adeleke, said investing in girls’ health and education is the cornerstone of national development, adding that this year’s celebration moves beyond advocacy to action by introducing medical outreach programmes, mentorship initiatives, workshops, and entrepreneurship training designed to equip young women with real-world skills.

“When a girl is healthy, she learns better; when she learns, she leads; and when she leads, she transforms her community,” she said, calling on all stakeholders to commit to a shared vision of a healthier, stronger, and more empowered generation of girls.

The event was graced by several non-government organisations, female secondary school students, resource persons and academicians.