Abdullahi M. Gulloma
This week, the Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, advocated for more investment in out-of-school teenage girls, saying that substantial number of the girls have either not completed their education or have never attended school.
Speaking during a side event at the 50th Session of United Nations Commission on Population and Development, which held recently, in New York, Mrs Buhari described the prevalence of substantial number of out-of-school and uneducated girls as a development that portends unpleasant consequences for humanity.
Mrs. Buhari, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Hajo Sani, is advocating for the promotion of girl-child education and vocational education through her Future Assured Programme, which trains women in fashion design, interior decoration, cosmetics development, leather work and many other trades.
The programme also organises refresher courses for those aiming for higher education but do not have the education requirements to realise their dream. Aisha Buhari’s vision and project, therefore, can be described as good omen for purposeful
Though, it must be said that like her project and many people before now, a lot were said about empowering women but so few things were done, leaving the women weaker.
No doubt, education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self confidence necessary to enable them to participate and contribute their quota to national development.
Nigeria should, therefore, encourage Mrs Aisha Buhari’s initiative and act in more ways to empower women and eliminate inequalities between men and women, promote women’s potential through education, skill development and employment and adopt measures to improve women’s ability to earn income beyond traditional occupations, achieve economic self-reliance and guarantee women access to social security systems.
