Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday extended an invitation to a teenager, Joy Ogah, who was part of the PLAN International delegation to the Presidential Villa, granting her the opportunity to address the nation for one day.
The PLAN International delegation was led by its Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation, Helen Mfonobong Idiong on a courtesy call at the Presidential villa, Abuja.
Speaking from the vice president’s seat, Ogah expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent millions of Nigerian girls.
She said 10.5 million children were out of school, with over 60 per cent of them being girls.
Ogah said Nigerian girls can be leaders if the necessary interventions are implemented by relevant authorities and stakeholders.
She called on the government, policymakers, development partners and the citizens to act strategically in advancing girl-child education.
“We must invest in education that is safe and inclusive for every child in Nigeria,” she said, just as she urged the relevant authorities to enforce laws that protect the rights of every girl-child and highlighted the need to provide free sanitary products in schools, as well as ensure access to water, sanitation, and nutrition for the Nigerian child.
“When girls are protected, peace becomes possible,” Ogah said.
She continued: “I may be the vice president for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day. They must continue in our policies, our classrooms, our conversations, and our budgets.”
According to her, every girl deserves a classroom, a choice, dignity, and not silence.
Earlier, while addressing the delegation, the Vice president said First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, is a symbol of how a properly empowered and supported girl-child can blossom into a great leader.
He recalled that when the First Lady was in the Senate, she contributed actively to debates, especially those relating to girl-child education.
He assured the stakeholders and development partners of the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to promoting girl-child education across Nigeria.
Shettima said among other government’s interventions in girl-child education, the school feeding programme remained essential.
Shettima, who invited, to take over the seat of the vice president for, stated that studies have shown that well-nourished children are well-formed.
“We will continue the engagement with PLAN International and see where the force and strength of government can be brought to bear on your solid advice on girl-child education, ” he said.
Shettima further told the delegation, “in president Tinubu, you have an ally you can believe in and invest your trust in,” adding that the administration was passionate and deeply committed to advancing girl-child education.
” I want to assure you, on behalf of president Bola Tinubu, that this government is gender-friendly.
” We believe in inclusivity. We cannot disenfranchise half of our population and expect to grow as a nation,” he stated.
The vice-president assured PLAN International that the administration’s doors were open for continuous engagement, adding, “the ladies on my team are the best people to engage.”
After his remarks, the vice-president invited Ogah to take over his seat for a day, an opportunity she gladly accepted.
Earlier, Idiong said that girls around the world face crises, and Nigeria was no exception.
She explained that the organisation had provided interventions for over 11 million Nigerian children in areas such as education, entrepreneurship, and youth development.
“We have been working across Nigeria to improve the lives of children,” she said.
Idiong recalled that in 2024, PLAN visited the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, where a girl took over the Speaker’s seat for a day.
She, therefore, called for the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on sanitary pads and diapers.
