By Joyce Asuquo
The United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF has lamented the growing number of out of school children in Nigeria especially the girl child.
UNICEF Representative to Nigeria, Peter Hawkins , said this in Abuja as Nigeria commemorated the 2019 International Day of the Girl child.
Hawkins who was represented at the event said that in Nigeria a huge number, about 68.5 percent of children especially the girl child are missing in education.
While placing this population of out of school children with growing population of 39 million global figures said that, Nigeria has to take quantum leap to enrol girls into school in order to meet the SDG.
Adding that if Nigeria does not make it in this regard, the world would also not make it.
UNICEF said there is the need to eliminate all forms of cultural practices which mitigates against the girl child.
Director General of the National Center for Women Development, Barrister Mary Ekpere- Etta while giving a speech in a press briefing to commemorate the 2019, International Day of the Girl child in Abuja yesterday noted that the day which is marked on 11 October annually is to promote the rights of girls and address the unique challenges they face.
She said, ” the day promotes girls human rights, highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys around the world.’
According to Ekpere- Etta, investing in education of girls and ensuring they remain in school is still the best option as this would enable them to reach their dreams and better their livelihood.
She further noted that in the last 25 years of the Beijing Platform for Action which was ratified by Nigeria not much has been acheived especially in the area of child marriage which still exists as well as daily occurrences of gender based violence against the girl child.
This year’s themes which are ” Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable and ” Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow”, is coming at the heels of the 25th Anniversay of the Beijing+25 years, adding that it gives room for countries to take stock of how far the girl child has come since 1995.
