By Damiete Braide
In a world where the rights of the girl child are often overlooked, the President of PEN Nigeria, Mr. Folu Agoi, and the organisation’s Secretary, Halima Abdulazeez, made impassioned pleas for action at a recent event commemorating the International Day of the Girl Child.
Their message was clear: the empowerment and protection of girls are critical to national and global development. Without decisive action to address the numerous challenges facing girls, including sexual exploitation, forced marriages, and lack of access to education, their vision for the future remains at risk.
Folu Agoi highlighted that girls have the potential to bring about significant change, but this can only happen if the systemic challenges they face are thoroughly addressed. He pointed to the Nigerian government’s inaction, criticizing its failure to prioritize the protection and empowerment of girls. “Sadly, the government has been too busy taking care of themselves to think of the citizens,” Agoi remarked.
Cultural practices, he noted, also play a significant role in reinforcing harmful stereotypes about women and girls. Agoi pointed to past political leaders who have belittled women’s roles, suggesting that their existence is confined to domestic spaces. These attitudes, according to Agoi, must be challenged if society is to unlock the potential of girls to lead and contribute meaningfully.
Halima Abdulazeez echoed these concerns, reinforcing the theme of the event, “Girls’ Vision for the Future.” She spoke about the resilience of girls who, despite facing multiple challenges, remain hopeful for a better world. Abdulazeez drew attention to alarming global statistics provided by UNICEF. With over 1.1 billion girls in the world, many still face malnutrition, gender-based violence, and exclusion from education.
In fact, almost double the number of adolescent girls, compared to boys, are not engaged in any form of education, employment, or training. Abdulazeez also highlighted the disproportionate impact of HIV on adolescent girls, noting that they account for 75% of new infections among young people globally. Despite these grim realities, Abdulazeez emphasised that girls’ vision for the future is a collective vision that society must protect.
“If supported, the girls of today can impact positively on families and nations,” she said, urging all stakeholders to work together in removing the barriers that hold them back.
This call to action was reinforced by Jesugbohunmi Samson Kolawole, an education consultant at Eduskills Consults, who addressed the rising cases of rape and sexual violence against minors. Kolawole stressed the importance of comprehensive sexual education programs that teach children about consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships.
He noted that these programmes must be culturally sensitive to be effective, and that parental guidance was key to preventing abuse. Parents, he argued, should be provided with the necessary resources to talk openly with their children about sexual abuse and ensure they know how to recognize and report inappropriate behaviour.
Together, these voices underscored a powerful message: the protection and empowerment of girls is not optional, but essential. If girls are to achieve their full potential and contribute to the growth and development of society, they must be given the safety, education, and support they deserve. The fight against exploitation and abuse is not one that can be delayed, and it requires the commitment of all sectors of society to ensure a better future for the girl child.
During the programme, there was a poetry competition and pupils of LASUED International Secondary School and LASUED International School won some prizes.
Clementina Onwumi aka Solutionist, a renowned poet, thrilled the audience with her poetry performance.