The Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, has underscored the significance of economic empowerment, personal development, and political participation as key factors in the growth and advancement of women in society, as reported by Voice of Nigeria.

Mrs AbdulRazaq emphasized the importance of protecting women’s rights, ensuring education for the adolescent girl child, and safeguarding them from harm, including child marriage and gender-based violence.

She made these remarks at the flag-off of the intervention initiative organized by Chidimma and Havilah (CHF) in collaboration with the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children (SEPCEYOWOC).

Represented by her Secretary, Mrs. Adewuyi Victoria, the First Lady stressed that inclusive decision-making is essential in a community-participatory approach to promoting the rights of women, adolescent girls, and youth at large, according to Voice of Nigeria.

She said; “Inclusive decision-making is vital in fostering community-participatory approaches that uphold the rights of women, girls, and youth. They must be actively involved in planning, implementation, and monitoring processes.”

The Governor’s wife further said that capacity building should be prioritised with training and enhancement initiatives for community members being essential to safeguarding the rights of women, girls, and youth.

Ambassador AbdulRazaq also called for partnerships and collaborations between local organizations and stakeholders to ensure sustained progress in promoting the rights of Adolescent girls, women, and youth.

“Accountability and regular monitoring are crucial to ensuring progress,” she noted, highlighting that these efforts ensure women, girls, and youth are central to creating solutions that promote equity and justice while addressing their unique needs and perspectives.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Olanrewaju Bake supported the First Lady’s remarks, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing women and the adolescent girl child by addressing the challenges they face.

She said; “We must consistently prioritize the education and empowerment of women and girls, tackling social norms and gender barriers including issues that hinder their development.”

The Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Shehu Adaramaja, represented by Mrs. Funmi Afolayan, expressed the Agency’s support for the intervention project.

He noted that the collaboration between Chidimma and Havilah Foundation and its development partners, such as the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children, aligns with the state’s ten-year sustainable development plan and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on quality education.

The District Head (Alangua) of Tanke in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Alhaji Umar Salawu extended his appreciation to the Chidimma and Havilah Foundation and its partners, including the Urgent Action Fund Africa, for their initiatives and the great community-approach to such intervention in the Tanke community.

He promised to fully support the project and ensure the active participation of the benefiting community to maximize the impact on adolescent girls.

The National Technical Lead of Chidimma and Havilah Foundation, Mr. Tiwatope Omotosho explained that the programme titled “Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Network for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) Project,” aimed at safeguarding gender equity, diversity, and inclusion.

He emphasised the importance of awareness and the adaptation of relevant supporting policies to address social norms and gender barriers that hinder adolescent education and economic opportunities.

The programme manager and implementing partner focal point, Mr. Ogunsola Femi expressed confidence that with the collective support of all stakeholders, the project would excel in setting a new standard for transformative education at the community level.