Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of Nigeria’s President, on Tuesday, said that young girls and women, who dropped out of school, deserve a second chance to reach their potential in life.
Tinubu said this at the sod-turning ceremony for the construction of an alternative high school for girls in Osogbo.
She said that her motivation as an educationist and life long teacher stemmed from the desire to see young girls and women who dropped out of school due to unplanned pregnancies, cultural barriers, economic or financial reasons have a second chance to complete high school.
Sen. Tinubu said that such an opportunity would enable them to acquire higher education and valuable life skills to reach their full potential in life.
According to her, the alarming rate of school drop out among girls are stark reminders of the need for alternative solutions in their educational pursuits.
”In a world where every girl deserves the opportunity to thrive and reach her fullest potential, it is a sad thing to witness the barriers that stand in the way of their education.
”No doubt, without education, girls will lack necessary skills to support themselves and access information to make informed decisions about their health and future.
“The consequences of this challenge are profound, affecting not only their individual lives, but also has attendant socio-economic implications for our nation.
“We cannot afford to squander the potential and talents of half of our population.
“Ensuring access to inclusive and equitable quality education that fosters lifelong learning opportunities for everyone is essential in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to “Ensure Inclusive and Equitable, Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All”, she said.
The wife of the President also said that due to the value her husband attached to education, he introduced the National Student Loan Scheme for youths to have unhindered access to education.
She said this was in view of the fact that education is the bedrock of national development and the cornerstone upon which dreams are built, skills acquired and aspirations generally realised.
According to her, Osun state was chosen as the location for the construction of the school through a transparent and unbiased raffle draw process at a strategic meeting with wives of state governors
”So, be rest assured that, the siting of this school here in Osogbo, emanated from a fair process and it is a divinely guided one.
“I urge us to commit to this, knowing that with education, we can break the chains of poverty, ignorance, and inequality, by providing our women and girls with tools and resources to thrive and succeed” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the wife of the plPresident, on her arrival, met with traditional rulers in the state at the government house.
At the meeting, she thanked them for their support for her husband.
In his remarks, Gov. Ademola Adeleke, commended Sen. Tinubu for her commitment to national human development and interest in the welfare of underprivileged Nigerians.
Adeleke said that he was not surprised that the wife of the President, on assumption of office, unveiled several initiatives in support of the girl child and the poor.
”Your Excellency, in your passion for the growth of the nation, you are also known for focusing on fairness and justice.
“For us in Osun State, we are here today because we are a beneficiary of your sense of justice.
“During the raffle for the siting of this school you picked Osun,you did not shift the goal post.
”We commend you for granting Osun this rare opportunity of hosting this very important school.
“We assure Your Excellency that our administration will follow up and provide needed support to ensure a robust operation upon completion of the school,” he said.
The governor said that his administration was also committed to supporting girl child education through series of programmes which strengthen the capacity of families to provide basic needs.
In his remarks, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), said that the objective of the school was to provide women and girls, who, for one reason or the other, did not complete their basic education, the opportunity to achieve their educational ambition.
According to Bobboyi, the available data show that of the 3,904,713 pupils in Primary Six across the country in 2021, who were expected to transit to JSS in 2022, only 1,602,213 could be accounted for in JSS One in 2022 .
He said while there are regional variations, the problem is nationwide and deserves to be addressed urgently.
“It is necessary to engage this category of children and young adults and give them another chance to complete their education”, he said.
NAN reports that Wife of Vice-President, Nana Shettima and wives of state governors were in attendance.
Among wives of governors at the ceremony include; Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, Ogun, Seaf Ododo, Kogi; and Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq, Kwara.
Others are Mrs Tobore Oborevwori, Delta; Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Lagos; Mrs Betsy Obaseki, Edo; Mrs Priscilla Otti, Abia; and Tamunominini Makinde, Oyo State.(NAN)
