ActionAid sensitises Abaji communities on girl-child education

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), a non-governmental organisation, has taken its campaign to Abaji Area Council in Abuja, canvassing for girl-child education as a means to ending early marriage in the council. Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, chairman of the area council, on Wednesday, stressed the need for stakeholders to educate the girl-child in their various communities. The campaign […]

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), a non-governmental organisation, has taken its campaign to Abaji Area Council in Abuja, canvassing for girl-child education as a means to ending early marriage in the council.

Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, chairman of the area council, on Wednesday, stressed the need for stakeholders to educate the girl-child in their various communities.

The campaign had as theme ‘Education Before Marriage’.

Ajiya, who was represented by Mr Noma Sheshi, Head, Department of Education in the council, said the country would only move forward and free from social vices if residents were educated.

He said religious and cultural beliefs that hinder access to education should be avoided, adding that traditional and religious leaders are essential in the fight.

“There is what we call negative cultural practices that hinder us from accessing this western education. In this 21st century where education has turned digital with ICT, the society is moving very fast.

“Those of us who have found ourselves in the Federal Capital Territory are still shying away from Western education.

“It is sad to discover that instead of sending our children to school, we send them for hawking, we give them for marriage at tender age.”

“At the age of eight, a child is given for marriage. Some of them even access this secondary school and primary school but they don’t stay till the end,” he said.

Ajiya added that to foster development associated with education, there was need for collective responsibilities to educate the young ones in the society.

“You are being educated, it is your responsibility to educate the young ones so that they too can take over the leadership of the community,” he said.

The chairman, therefore, pledged to ensure that all stakeholders in the council joined hands to ensure that children remain in school as well as complete their education.

Mrs Geraldine Onyeka, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, AAN said early child marriage had a lot of implications that if not handled, would negatively impact on the economy.

“We are trying to sensitise the people on ending early child marriage knowing that early child marriage has so many implications both on the economy, poverty and so many other health issues.

“So we are also looking at other people that are also stakeholders, talking about parents, religious leaders, community leaders, to join in this campaign to encourage children, especially female children, to go to school,” she said.