Girl child education: CODE organises town hall meeting in Adamawa

A non-governmental organisation, Connected Development (CODE), has re-engaged stakeholders from different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to re-strategise in making policies that would encourage a 12-year free, compulsory and inclusive education of the girl-child in Adamawa state.

This was made known by the Programme Manager CODE, Zaliha Lawal, during its stakeholder’s town hall meeting at the American University of Nigeria’s Hotel in Yola, Adamawa State.

Zaliha said the Girl-Child education campaign is supported by the Malala Fund which seeks to ensure several policy reforms in basic and secondary education of the girl-child, also mainstreaming the SBMCs in the state Universal Basic Education Board annual action plan processes and budget/project monitoring.

She reiterated that the project aims at increasing girl-child secondary education enrolment and completion through activating accountability channels for gender-responsive service delivery in schools, addressing traditional barriers to girls’ education, and high-level governmental engagement.

She called on the state government to make provisions and prioritise WASH infrastructure across schools for a conducive learning environment for the girl child.

In his remarks, Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly, Iya Abbas, who was represented by Abdullahi Umar Yapak Member representing Verre constituency, said a bill in respect of the girl-child enrolment into schools has already passed second reading and would soon be passed into law soon.

“We are going to make girl-child education compulsory in the state through advocacy; we are going to make a strong team in Adamawa state of traditional rulers, party leaders on the importance of girl-child education in Adamawa. We are there to make laws for the good governance of the country,” he said.

A stakeholder, Judith Ibrahim Principal GDSS Modere, said the town hall meeting gave the opportunity to meet with various stakeholders and channel their complaints and challenges directly to the state government with issues regarding the girl-child in schools.

She applauded CODE’s initiative of town-hall meetings, adding that if sustained, it would go a long way in encouraging the girl-child enrollment in schools.