Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has reiterated his administration’s commitment to advancing girls’ education, recognizing its crucial role in societal development.
He made this statement during the Traditional and Religious Leaders’ Conference on Improving Girls’ Education in the North-East subregion.
The event was organized by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment
Project in collaboration with the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Education, and the Bauchi State Government.
In his address, Governor Mohammed highlighted the significant strides his administration has made in promoting girls’ education, emphasizing the vital role that traditional and religious leaders play in encouraging school enrollment, retention, and completion, especially among girls. He noted that since assuming office in 2019, his government has built over 5,000 classrooms and renovated many others, with traditional and religious leaders playing a key role in supporting school efforts, according to Independent.
The Governor also mentioned the establishment of Second Chance Schools as part of his administration’s initiatives to improve educational opportunities for girls. He acknowledged the support of the Sultan of Sokoto and other traditional leaders in these efforts.
In his keynote speech, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III expressed concern about the education challenges facing the North-East, particularly for girls, many of whom are forced to engage in hawking and other informal work to support their families. He stressed the importance of educating girls and reiterated that Islam does not oppose the education of the girl child. The Sultan also highlighted that the main obstacles to addressing girls’ education in the region are insufficient funding and a lack of awareness about the importance of education.
The Sultan commended Governor Bala Mohammed for hosting the conference and for his inclusive approach to governance, acknowledging the essential role of traditional leaders in fostering education in the region. He emphasized the need for better understanding between religious groups and urged that the focus be placed on providing education to girls, who, once educated, can significantly contribute to their families and communities.
“If religious leaders are playing astute roles in your administration, give them their dues. There should be understanding of each other irrespective of religion.”
“Now we have known our problem, it is lack of education for our girls. When I was coming here, I saw some children hawking on the street and I was wondering, I asked some of them and they told me that they have morning and afternoon sessions at school.”
“I think it is very important to talk to ourselves, not wanting education but how to get it and how to go about it. Giving the Girlchild education is the best thing to do because she will use it to better the society as she will take care of herself, her family and community irrespective of ethno-religious sentiment.”he aded
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, represented by Bukar Bukarbe, praised the conference as timely and aligned with the Federal Government’s efforts to improve girls’ education. He also commended the Bauchi State Government for its continued support.
Amina Buba Haruna, National Coordinator of the AGILE Project, explained that the initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of girls’ education in the North-East, a region severely affected by insurgency. She thanked the Bauchi State Government for its unwavering support of the project.
Dr. Jamila Mohammed Dahiru, Commissioner for Education in Bauchi, expressed her excitement about participating in the crucial discussion on girls’ education, noting that girls represent one of the most vulnerable segments of society. She emphasized that the conference is a call to action, urging stakeholders to collaborate in breaking down the barriers to girls’ education and empowering them to achieve their full potential.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Dahiru reaffirmed the collective commitment to creating a society where every girl has access to quality education. She called for continued collaboration to ensure that every girl child receives the education and opportunities she deserves.
