Vice President Osinbajo Says States, Not F.G To Blame For Education Challenges

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says most of the problems associated with Nigeria’s education sector is the responsibility of state governments.

The vice president said this in Abuja when he declared open a two-day national dialogue on girls with the theme “National Dialogue on Girls: Towards a girl-friendly Nigeria”.

The forum was jointly organized by the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), Women Arise for Change Initiative and the Africa-Wide Movement for Children (AMC).

The vice president who identified social and cultural prejudices as some of the critical problems militating against the girl child in Nigeria, said despite efforts by the Federal government to curtail the menace, states and local governments also have a role to play.

He admonished victims of child abuse not to take it as the end of life, adding that examples abound of such victims that have shrugged it off to make it in life.

The vice president urged states yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act, CRA, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act to do so.

In her opening remarks, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, described the dialogue as a clarion call on government as well as well-meaning individuals to support the girl child.

She said despite the milestones already reached, the girl child still faces a lot of challenges such as early marriage, rape and other forms of child abuse.

She added that government is in collaboration with UNICEF in many of these regards.

The president, Women Arise, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, highlighted the persistent challenges still facing Nigerian girls adding that the Chibok and Dapchi girls abductions experience were eye-openers to the peculiar dangers that the girl child faces in Nigeria.

On her part, the Executive Director, African Child Policy Forum (ACPF), Dr Joan Nyanyuki, said it was important to recognize that despite concerted efforts, the challenges are fast outpacing current efforts, hence the need to redouble efforts.

She called on Government to scale up its efforts to address the problems affecting the girl child which she identified as protection from violence and harmful practices; provision of basic services; and participation in the resolution of issues that affect them.