Health
Stakeholders seek stronger investment in girl-child empowerment
By Justice Okamgba
Stakeholders have called for stronger investment in girl-child empowerment and education, saying it is critical to leadership development, national growth and the prevention of human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
The calls were made in Abuja at the graduation and award ceremony of the first cohort of the African Girl Guides’ 12-week leadership and empowerment programme.
The event, themed “Leading Beyond the Programme: Sustaining Purpose, Influence and Impact,” brought together representatives of government agencies, civil society organisations, trainers, parents and young women.
The Founder of Uplift International, Nelson Ogohi, said investment in the girl child should be treated as a national priority, particularly in areas where girls continue to face barriers to education.
Ogohi said the empowerment of women ultimately translated into national development because women played critical roles in raising and shaping future generations.
He explained that the organisation’s leadership philosophy was built around three interconnected concepts: purpose, influence and impact. According to him, young women must first understand their purpose, use their influence positively and translate that influence into measurable impact.
He called on the government, community leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders to do more to promote girl-child education across Nigeria. Ogohi described the challenges facing girl-child education in parts of the country as a matter requiring urgent national attention.
Founder of Paw Salvation and African Girl Guide, Jindu Elueze, said his journey began about a decade ago when he left Nigeria for the United States with a dream that later evolved into Paw Salvation, an initiative that began by feeding homeless pets and their families in Chicago.
According to him, Paw Salvation subsequently gained recognition through ABC7’s “Making Chicago Proud” honour and NewsNation’s “American Hero” designation. He said the recognition he received in the United States was not the ultimate destination but preparation for a larger assignment of bringing the spirit of service back to Africa.
“Every award, every headline, was never the destination — it was preparation for the real assignment: bringing that same spirit of service back to the continent that raised me,” Elueze said.
He described the graduation of the girls as evidence that an immigrant’s dream could transcend borders and create opportunities for young women on the African continent.
“Today, that assignment comes full circle. As we celebrate the graduates of this 12-week empowerment programme, we are also planting Paw Salvation and African Girl Guide simultaneously in Ghana and Nigeria,” he said.
Elueze urged the graduates to see themselves as the reason the journey from Lagos to Chicago and now Accra and Nigeria had meaning, adding that their graduation marked only the beginning of their leadership journey.
The Manager of African Girl Guide, Sophia Okiasi, said the organisation had graduated 37 young women from its first cohort after 12 weeks of intensive engagement.
She explained that 10 participants received outstanding awards in different categories, including contribution and attendance, while all 37 graduates received certificates of participation and engagement.
Okiasi said the programme was designed to give young women the confidence, awareness and skills required to navigate leadership and other challenges. She urged more young women to join the organisation, describing it as a community where girls could learn, build confidence and prepare for leadership.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Binta Adamu Bello, represented by Mrs Kehinde Akomolafe, said empowering girls was crucial to preventing human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
She said traffickers often preyed on ignorance, poverty and low self-esteem, adding that educated, skilled and confident girls were less vulnerable to deception and exploitation. “Know your rights. No one has the right to exploit you for labour, sex or any criminal activities,” she told the graduates.
She also urged them to verify opportunities advertised on social media and elsewhere, warning that offers that appeared too good to be true could expose young women to trafficking.
Bello further charged the graduates to become guides to other girls as they progressed in life. “Lead another girl as you rise. That is indeed the true map of leadership,” she said.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, represented by Aisha Mohamed, urged the graduates to make integrity the foundation of their leadership.
Olukoyede said the fight against corruption could not be left to law enforcement agencies alone, stressing the need for proper upbringing, character development and youth empowerment.
“Do not be cheated, and do not cheat others. At the EFCC, we find the Yahoo boys and the get-rich-quick mentality destroying many of our youths. But we know that law enforcement alone is not enough,” she said.
Olukoyede encouraged the graduates to reject fraud and shortcuts, use their influence responsibly and become examples of integrity in their schools, businesses, communities and homes.
He said the EFCC had programmes such as Women Against Corruption and Integrity Clubs in schools because of the important role women play in shaping society.
Meanwhile, one of the award recipients, Ezechukwu Chidinma Maryanne, who received the Grand Award of Excellence, described the honour as unexpected and a privilege.
She pledged to use the recognition as motivation to contribute to the growth of African Girl Guide and inspire more young women to recognise their value and capacity to create change.
“I would ensure that this award is not just something that ends here today. I would ensure that the aim and objective of African Girl Guide goes beyond what we have seen,” she said.
She expressed hope that the initiative would produce more graduates and create opportunities for young women to make meaningful contributions to Nigerian society.
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