Summit Targets Human Trafficking, Education Gaps for Girls in Edo

 Sunday Okobi

 The Emmanuel Osemota Foundation (EOF) has stated that the upcoming Edo 1,000 Girls Summit will focus on human-trafficking prevention, menstrual health access, digital skills and school-to-career opportunities. The summit is coming as Nigeria confronts persistent concerns over girls’ safety, educational attainment and economic inclusion.

The Edo 1000 Girls Summit is scheduled for October 16 at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin City with the theme: ‘Invest in a Girl. Power the Future. Protect Her Freedom’.

At the summit, the Edo State First Lady, Edesili Anani Okpebholo, is expected to deliver the keynote address with a focus on safeguarding girls’ rights, strengthening support systems and encouraging female leadership.

The summit is designed as a one-day intervention bringing together students from across the state for mentorship, practical learning sessions, health information and access to educational resources.

The organisers said the programme would combine public awareness with direct support, including planned laptop and scholarship awards.

According to Emmanuel Osemota, founder of the Emmanuel Osemota Foundation, “Human trafficking awareness will be a central part of the event. Edo State has long been a focal point in national conversations about irregular migration and trafficking, making prevention education for adolescent girls particularly significant.

“Participants would receive information on recognising deceptive recruitment tactics, reporting concerns, and reducing vulnerability to exploitation. The sessions are also expected to address peer-to-peer awareness, encouraging girls to identify and discuss warning signs within their schools and communities.”

He told journalists that “Hosting 1,000 secondary school girls under one roof represents a critical operational milestone for our foundation.

“By combining grassroots advocacy with high-level institutional partnerships, we are equipping these young women with the tools, digital competencies and safety awareness they need to build safer, stronger futures.”

Beyond trafficking prevention, the summit will address menstrual health and hygiene, an issue the organisers said can disrupt attendance and learning where girls lack information, privacy or access to sanitary products.

The programme will also include leadership and personal-development sessions intended to build confidence, civic awareness and long-term planning skills. A separate education and career track will promote digital literacy, academic achievement and pathways into further education and employment.

Also, the Director-General of the Edo State Tourism Agency, Lady Vivian Elabor, will speak on leadership, self-development and economic opportunities for young women. Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals to the Edo State Government, Sally Suleiman, is expected to discuss education and career routes linked to broader development targets.

The initiative comes as governments, schools, civil-society organisations and development partners increasingly emphasise the need to keep girls in school, protect them from gender-based risks and prepare them for a technology-driven economy.

While the summit will be held in Edo State, its core concerns extend beyond the state: access to education, reproductive-health information, safe migration awareness and digital inclusion remain central to Nigeria’s wider effort to improve outcomes for girls and young women. The summit will include panel discussions, essay and quiz competitions, mentoring activities and scholarship announcements intended to support participants beyond the event itself.