Girl Child Day : Sultan Advocates For More Commitment To Education

Abubakar spoke during a symposium to commemorate the International Day of Girl Child, organised by the Sultanate Council in Sokoto.

The monarch said educating the girl child is a responsibility of all stakeholders from parents to the leaders of the society.

“We will continue to ensure full support towards imparting knowledge on our children especially the Girl Child.

“The increase in the number of out of School children in Nigeria most especially in our region is becoming so alarming.

“As leaders we will continue to fulfill our responsibilities by engaging the government in ensuring better and sustainable commitment to education,” he said.

Abubakar added that the Sultanate council would continue to organise more programs that will encourage children education in the country.

In his remarks, Sokoto State Zonal Commander, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Hassan Tahir, decried the growing rate of girl child trafficking in Nigeria.

“The practice of girl child trafficking place the victims at extreme risk of physical danger, psychological trauma, depression, sexual abuse and sexually transmitted infections.

“This is despite numerous institutional and policies framework put in place by the Nigerian government to fight the menace.

“The growing rate of girl child trafficking in the country is basically not because government is lacking in its responsibilities in addressing the menace.

“But that these efforts were only restricted towards prosecution and rehabilitation of trafficked victims, thereby neglecting to address the root cause of child trafficking, ” he said.

Tahir added that in order to effectively fight the menace of child trafficking, the government must extend measures beyond prosecution of traffickers and rehabilitation of victims, to include concrete and practical steps toward addressing the root causes.

“In addition, citizens must come forward and report any cases of child trafficking or related cases to the relevant authorities,” he added.

Earlier in her presentation on the importance of girl child education, Prof. Sa’adiya Omar, of the Centre for Hausa Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, thanked the Sultanate council for the program.

Omar said, “Every child should be given the opportunity to be educated no matter the gender of the child as both sexes can bring equal growth and contributions to the society.”

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2019 International Day of Girl Child is “Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow.”

The day is set aside since 2012 by the United Nation to promote girls’ human rights, highlight gender inequalities and address the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls