As the world commemorates the International Day of the Girl Child, the Corpers’ Journey Advocacy Network (CJAN) has called on the Nigerian government to implement urgent reforms to tackle the growing crisis of girl-child education and youth unemployment, describing the situation as “a ticking time bomb for the nation’s future.”
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, CJAN’s Founder, Ajayi Taiwo, lamented that millions of Nigerian girls are being denied access to quality education and equal opportunities.
He warned that the continued neglect of the girl child poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
According to UNICEF, over 7.6 million girls in Nigeria are currently out of school with 3.9 million at the primary level and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level.
Taiwo described the figures as evidence of a “systemic failure” worsened by early marriage, gender-based violence, poverty, and insecurity, especially in northern Nigeria.
“The numbers are alarming,” he said. “When over seven million girls are out of school, it’s not just an education problem — it’s an economic and social crisis. No country can achieve sustainable development when a significant portion of its female population is left behind.”
Citing a World Bank report showing that 66 percent of Nigerian girls drop out before completing junior secondary school, Taiwo noted that the lack of retention-focused interventions continues to widen gender inequality.
He added that data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveal youth unemployment at 6.5 percent, while the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate stands at 14.4 percent among youths aged 15–24 — with females being disproportionately affected.
To address these challenges, CJAN unveiled a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at empowering girls through education, mentorship, and post-service opportunities.
The group’s key proposals include integrating digital literacy, coding, and entrepreneurship into school curricula and NYSC skill programs; establishing mentorship and safe reporting channels for female corps members and adolescent girls, particularly in rural areas; and creating post-service empowerment schemes offering start-up grants and business incubation support for female ex-corps members.
CJAN also urged the government to ensure that girls are direct beneficiaries of education and youth initiatives through stronger oversight and sex-disaggregated data tracking to enhance intervention targeting.
“Investing in girls is not charity, it is a strategic investment in Nigeria’s stability and prosperity,” Taiwo said. “An educated girl becomes a productive woman, a better mother, and a contributor to national development.”
He appealed to the government, private sector, and civil society to unite in addressing gender disparities and building a safer, more inclusive environment for Nigerian girls. “As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, we must remember that progress starts with action,” he added. “Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, lead, and thrive.”
