With the new academic session approaching, the Kwara State government has launched a girl child education awareness campaign across the state, highlighting the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration’s dedication to enhancing girls' access to quality education, as reported by the Kwara State Government Facebook page

The campaign, led by Hon. Joana Nnazua Kolo, Adviser to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Girl Child Education, began on August 16, 2024, in Kwara North and saw the participation of parents, children, teachers, traditional rulers, and government officials.

In her address to the parents and girls present, Hon. Kolo stressed the importance of girl child education, noting that it can lead to better career prospects and an improved social standing for girls. She urged that girls should not be confined to domestic roles or early marriages.

Drawing on her own experiences, Hon. Kolo shared how education has unlocked numerous opportunities for her, highlighting her historic appointment at 26 as the youngest commissioner in Kwara State’s history, and by extension, in Nigeria. She currently serves as the Adviser to the Governor on Girl Child Education.

When asked about their ambitions in life, it was gratifying to hear the girls telling the Honourable that they wanted to become teachers, doctors, and lawyers, among other respected professions. Hon. Kolo urged the parents to prioritize their daughters' education so that they could achieve their various goals.

The Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi echoed the need for girl child education. The people of the community expressed gratitude to Hon Joana Nnazua Kolo and His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for bringing the impactful program to their community while vowing that they would prioritize educating their girls.

The Girl Child Education campaign awareness is collaboratively carried out by the State government, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the state. Hon. Kolo who is the leader of the campaign and her team will tour the three senatorial districts before the curtain of the educative and impactful program drops.

In 2022, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimated the number of out-of-school girls in Nigeria to be 7.6 million. Since Governor AbdulRazaq assumed office in 2019, he has ensured the girls in Kwara receive quality education through KwaraLEARN, payment of counterpart funds and provision of various educational aids.

Governor AbdulRazaq and Women Appointment/Empowerment

Since the return of democracy in 1999, no governor in Kwara State has empowered and appointed women to strategic positions in his government like Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. In his first tenure, he appointed 56% of women in his cabinet. In 2023, he repeated this feat by appointing 50% women, underscoring his commitment to improving the social status of the women in Kwara State.