Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani has launched a non-governmental organization called Access to Education and Health Centre, declaring that girl child education is critical to nation building.
While presenting toiletries, educational materials and other assorted gift materials worth millions of naira to four FCT schools in Abuja, penultimate week, the ex-lawmaker stated education of a girl child should be a matter of priority to government and private citizens.
The former lawmaker who was represented by the Programme Officer of the NGO, Halima Halidu Sani lamented the out of school girl child, noting that the society and government must change the tide and insist on training the girl child in the country as part of processes to rebuild the country.
Shehu Sani disclosed that a staggering over 7 million girls are out of school in Nigeria with only 3.9 of them at the primary, while 3.7 million at the junior secondary schools across the country.
According to the former lawmaker in the 8th National Assembly, Nigerian has not taken the lead in the girl child education not only in Africa, but also in West Africa sub-region, emphasizing that it was time, Nigeria should champion the girl child education through enabling laws and deliberate policies that would ensure girl child education is repositioned towards building a strong nation.
To achieve this feat, he called on ‘well to do’ Nigerians to deliberately invest in girl child education, noting that leaving the task for the government alone was not the best option to educating girl child in the 21st century.
Sani said, Access to Education and Health Centre, non-governmental organization which he founded would continue to support female gender in primary, secondary and tertiary schools’ campaign and advocate for the training of girl child which he believes that his generation has onus of responsibility to train female children for the betterment of the society.
Senator Sani said: “The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF has confirmed in its latest report in August, 2024 that over 7 million girls are out of school in Nigeria, only 3.9 million at the primary and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level.
“This is unacceptable and if African nations, especially Nigeria, must build a strong and virile economy, girl child education must be uppermost as female genders command sizable numbers in each nation across the globe.
“Girls are would-be mothers with tasking responsibility and influence in future, hence educating a girl child is a direct investment that would have impact on the society, thus they should not be seen as weaker when it comes to building strong society”, recalling that some generation of women like the late Benazir Butto, Mother Theresa, Indira Gandhi created impact through education.
The beneficiary schools, Government Girls Secondary School, Kuje, Government Girls Secondary School, Abaji, Government Girls Secondary School, Garki and that of Dutse while receiving the gift items on behalf of the female students express joy for coming to their rescue, promising that the gift items would be equitably distributed among the students.
Speaking separately after presentation of items, the principals appreciated Senator Sani for depriving himself of comfort to distribute the items through his NGO, even when he was no longer a serving lawmaker.
In the words of the principal of Government Girls Secondary School Garki, he said, “I want to thank the Senator. This is somebody who stood there, when others turned their eyes away from the weak and deprived himself of comfort just to satisfy others.
“I really appreciate what the Senator is doing and everybody appreciates him and the only way he can reach the masses is through this NGO. I really appreciate that and that is what God wants.”
