T he Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on
Thursday in Abuja commended UNESCO and Procter
and Gamble (P&G) for their joint project aimed at
empowering 60,000 girls and women in Nigeria.
She gave the commendation at the Graduation
Ceremony of 7,500 Non-Formal Education Learners and
Announcement of the 2nd Phase of the UNESCO-
Always Skills Development Through the use of ICT in
Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Mrs
Buhari was represented by Mrs Dolapo Osibanjo, the
Wife of the Vice-President.
“First of all, I wish to commend the strong partnership
between UNESCO and P&G in the progress of
education especially to girls and women who are the
most disadvantaged population in our country today.
“I believe we are all aware that like many countries of
the world, our women and girls in Nigeria are often
denied the opportunity of education.
“It is widely known that lack of education limits the
prospects for women and girls to excel in life; it
decreases family income; it reduces knowledge of good
nutrition and health; it increases vulnerability and puts
women and girls at the risk of trafficking and
exploitation.
“All of these contribute to limiting the economic
advancement of women and indeed of the entire
nation,’’ she said.
According to her, adult literacy programmes coupled
with skills acquisition such as UNESCO is
implementing, can help girls to enrol and stay in
schools.
In his address, UNESCO’s Regional Director, Nigeria,
Mr Benoit Sossou, said that the organisation’s 2015
reports showed that 60 per cent of out of school
children in Nigeria lived in the North.
He said that 71 per cent of the figure was girls and
women.
“Our collaboration with P&G is aimed at accelerating
and underpinning national efforts to achieve the
Education for All(EFA) goals especially, goals three,
four and five; MDGs two and three, and now the
Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) four in Nigeria.
“The project is specially targeted to support 60,000
girls and women to acquire basic literacy, numeracy
and life and vocational skills.
“These beneficiaries comprise illiterate girls and
women who have never been to school due to one
challenge or the other.
“Those that dropped out of school a bit too early
before they could acquire any foundational skill and
young girls who are in school but are at risk of
dropping out due to poor performance,’’ he said.
According to him, the initial pilot phase of the project is
operational in two states – Rivers and the FCT.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said
that the project was aimed at accelerating national
efforts towards the achievement of the gender-related
goals and commitments.
Represented by Alhaji Jibril Paiko, the Executive
Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy,
Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), Adamu said
the Federal Government committed 6.4 million dollars
to UNESCO in 2011 for the project.
He commended UNESCO for also mobilising fund from
P&G to support the Revitalising Adult and Youth
Literacy Programme.
In her remarks, P&G’s Director of Communications, Mr
Nada Dugas, said that the firm was committed to girls’
education and empowerment.
“We believe that educated girls are better wives, mums
and sisters.
“We always have a commitment that education and
empowerment of the girl child is what we want to
achieve as a brand.
“It has been something that we have been working on
for over 25 years in Nigeria; we have been doing school
education programmes for girls.
“The partnership with UNESCO is one additional
programme to girls on education and empowerment;
we are targeting 170,000 girls by 2018 for
empowerment,’’ she said.
NAN reports that the highlights of the event were the
presentation of certificates to the graduands and
plagues to traditional rulers. NAN
Thursday in Abuja commended UNESCO and Procter
and Gamble (P&G) for their joint project aimed at
empowering 60,000 girls and women in Nigeria.
She gave the commendation at the Graduation
Ceremony of 7,500 Non-Formal Education Learners and
Announcement of the 2nd Phase of the UNESCO-
Always Skills Development Through the use of ICT in
Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Mrs
Buhari was represented by Mrs Dolapo Osibanjo, the
Wife of the Vice-President.
“First of all, I wish to commend the strong partnership
between UNESCO and P&G in the progress of
education especially to girls and women who are the
most disadvantaged population in our country today.
“I believe we are all aware that like many countries of
the world, our women and girls in Nigeria are often
denied the opportunity of education.
“It is widely known that lack of education limits the
prospects for women and girls to excel in life; it
decreases family income; it reduces knowledge of good
nutrition and health; it increases vulnerability and puts
women and girls at the risk of trafficking and
exploitation.
“All of these contribute to limiting the economic
advancement of women and indeed of the entire
nation,’’ she said.
According to her, adult literacy programmes coupled
with skills acquisition such as UNESCO is
implementing, can help girls to enrol and stay in
schools.
In his address, UNESCO’s Regional Director, Nigeria,
Mr Benoit Sossou, said that the organisation’s 2015
reports showed that 60 per cent of out of school
children in Nigeria lived in the North.
He said that 71 per cent of the figure was girls and
women.
“Our collaboration with P&G is aimed at accelerating
and underpinning national efforts to achieve the
Education for All(EFA) goals especially, goals three,
four and five; MDGs two and three, and now the
Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) four in Nigeria.
“The project is specially targeted to support 60,000
girls and women to acquire basic literacy, numeracy
and life and vocational skills.
“These beneficiaries comprise illiterate girls and
women who have never been to school due to one
challenge or the other.
“Those that dropped out of school a bit too early
before they could acquire any foundational skill and
young girls who are in school but are at risk of
dropping out due to poor performance,’’ he said.
According to him, the initial pilot phase of the project is
operational in two states – Rivers and the FCT.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said
that the project was aimed at accelerating national
efforts towards the achievement of the gender-related
goals and commitments.
Represented by Alhaji Jibril Paiko, the Executive
Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy,
Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), Adamu said
the Federal Government committed 6.4 million dollars
to UNESCO in 2011 for the project.
He commended UNESCO for also mobilising fund from
P&G to support the Revitalising Adult and Youth
Literacy Programme.
In her remarks, P&G’s Director of Communications, Mr
Nada Dugas, said that the firm was committed to girls’
education and empowerment.
“We believe that educated girls are better wives, mums
and sisters.
“We always have a commitment that education and
empowerment of the girl child is what we want to
achieve as a brand.
“It has been something that we have been working on
for over 25 years in Nigeria; we have been doing school
education programmes for girls.
“The partnership with UNESCO is one additional
programme to girls on education and empowerment;
we are targeting 170,000 girls by 2018 for
empowerment,’’ she said.
NAN reports that the highlights of the event were the
presentation of certificates to the graduands and
plagues to traditional rulers. NAN
