In a pivotal meeting with the Malala Fund and its grantees, the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, emphasized the collective responsibility in advancing girls' education. She welcomed the delegation, acknowledging their dedication to this cause, and highlighted the Ministry's unwavering commitment to ensuring quality and inclusive education for all, with a special focus on empowering the girl-child.
Professor Ahmad introduced the Ministry's flagship initiative, Lumina 2030, designed to address the root causes hindering girls' education, such as poverty and lack of access. The program comprises three phases: 'Root' focuses on empowering mothers through skill acquisition and foundational literacy; 'STEM' targets girls aged 5 to 15, providing them with quality education in underserved areas; and the final phase aims to ensure the sustainability of these efforts. The Minister emphasized that the Lumina 2030 initiative is structured differently from previous approaches, aiming for tangible and lasting impact.
"Education is the collective responsibility of everyone," the Minister stated, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts. She expressed the Ministry's openness to partnerships that align with their objectives, urging stakeholders to support initiatives like Lumina 2030. This approach, she noted, would help transform the educational landscape for girls in Nigeria through innovative approaches and community involvement.
Nabila Aguele, Chief Executive of Malala Fund Nigeria, expressed the organization's dedication to supporting local education champions and advocating for policies that enable girls to access and complete twelve years of education. She highlighted the Fund's new five-year strategy focusing on education financing and the rights of girls affected by child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. "Our mission is to ensure that all girls are able to access and complete twelve years of school. We focus on secondary school education for girls because that's where we see the highest barriers to access and completion," Aguele noted.
Building on this momentum, Hajia Habiba Mohammed, Programme Lead at the Centre for Girls Education, shared insights into their work providing safe spaces for girls, both in and out of school. These spaces offer literacy and numeracy support, life skills, reproductive health information, and mentorship, aiming to empower girls to stay in school and delay early marriage.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to collaborative efforts in addressing the multifaceted barriers to girls' education in Nigeria. Moving forward, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Malala Fund will work together to implement innovative, community-driven solutions and increase investment in girls' education, ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering national development.
ADEOLA KUNLE
