Kano State Female Students Call For State Of Emergency On Insecurity

Female students in Kano State have called on the government and relevant stakeholders, to declare a state of emergency on insecurity, water sanitation, and hygiene, WASH, to improve girls’ education.

The call was part of the recommendations, during a panel discussion on achieving a quality life for girls, as part of activities to mark the International Day of the Girl Child 2023 in Kano State.

The students and panel discussants, Rabi’a Lawal Shanono, Halima Usman Maiwake, Shahida Murtala, Rahina Sani Daha and enumerated the challenges bedeviling girls such as insecurity, poverty, inadequate toilets, lack of potable drinking water, dilapidated classrooms, overpopulation, lack of desks, high cost of transportation, lack of sanitary materials, among others.

They appealed to the government, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders to assist them, stressing that the Intervention would go a long way in uplifting girls’ education to a global standard.

During another panel discussion on the role of administration in improving the lives and well-being of girls, the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Umar Doguwa explained that, KNSG planned out drastic and aggressive measures, to address problems bedeviling girl’s education.

Doguwa noted that “the government was committed to ensuring the safety of girls in schools, provision of shuttle buses, security, and other initiatives aimed at moving girl’s education to the next level.”

Other panelists who spoke include the Executive Secretary of Kano State Senior Secondary School’s Management Board (KSSMB), a representative of the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, a senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Girls’ education, and a representative of High-Level Women Advocates (HILWA).

In her remarks, the UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Christian Munduate reinstated that Nigeria, accounts for 15% of out-of-school children worldwide and only 9% of the poorest girls, have the chance to attend secondary school.

Ms Munduate explained that “7.6 million girls in Nigeria from the Northern regions, remain deprived of opportunities, and Kano ranks second in the number of out-of-school girls in Nigeria, revealing a harsh disparity in access to education.”

The UNICEF Nigeria representative said proven models like the Girls’ Education Project 3, supported generously by the people of the UK and UNICEF have assisted states including Kano in sending 1.5 million girls back to school in just two years.

She said; “We will continue engagement with leaders, partners, and stakeholders to amplify our investment in the welfare of our girls, particularly as they face the brunt of conflicts, natural disasters, and the ever-looming threat of climate change.”

Mercy Chukwudiebere