Ministry begins community sensitization on girl child education, others

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Education has commenced the community sensitization and mobilization on early and girl child education and empowerment which, it noted, will reduce the growing cases of early child marriage and women abuse.

The project which is championed by an agency in the Ministry, the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) in collaboration with Bidmusdruhill Nigeria Limited, Redwood Multi Concept Limited and Media Target Limited, was designed to provide a re-orientation for the communities on the need to support women growth and development.

A statement from the Commission indicated that NMEC Executive Secretary, Prof. Akpama Simon Ibor, alongside other officials have visited, Birini Kebbi, Yola and FCT as part of the efforts to achieve the desired goal.

It noted that in the FCT, Abaji Area Council was preferred as the point of interactions where they interfaced with the parents and other critical stakeholders including the Chairman of Abaji Area Council, Abubakar Umar Abdullahi; Supervisory Councillor for Education of the Area Council, Hajia Aisha Saada; who were on the ground to make the interactive session worthwhile. Traditional rulers and district chiefs were almost made to know their important roles in girl child education.

At a different meeting, the stakeholders in the FCT education, notably, SUBEB, FCT Agency for Mass Education, Local Govt Education authority, were also engaged on the interactions for the same purpose of championing the cause of girl child education in the communities.

The NMEC officials also had an interface with various school principals, teachers and other non academic staff in various schools, and in the cause of that distributed school materials like bags, textbooks, exercise books, writing materials, sandals, sanitary wears and many more to students.

At another engagement with the Civil Society Organisations, the non-governemental association of literacy and social services represented by their president, Mrs. Stella Chukwu, made a presentation on the importance of supporting and promoting early child education for improved human capital index.

Similarly, Mrs. Fehintola Aguda, a retired Director of NMEC, and Mallam Muhammed Tukur, Director of Administration of NMEC also made presentations, while Dr. John Edeh, Director of Literacy Development Department of NMEC represented the Executive Secretary.