Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says access to inclusive, equitable and quality education fosters lifelong learning opportunities.

She also said girls would lack all necessary skills to support themselves and make informed choices if they failed to have an education.

Mrs Tinubu made the assertion on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun State, while performing the official sod-turning for the construction of an Alternative High School for Girls in the state.

The first lady explained that the school would give young girls and women a lifeline, where lack of fund, cultural barrier and unplanned pregnancy stand in the way of their education.

She added that those who dropped out of school for reasons not immediately identifiable would also get a second chance of actualizing their dreams.

Mrs Tinubu said her desire to push through with the idea of the Alternative High School For Girls stemmed from her background as a lifelong teacher and educationist.

“I envisioned and introduced the idea for the establishment of an Alternative High School for Girls, a vision which was accepted and utilized by the Lagos State Ministry of Education in 2007 when my husband was the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and this particular school still runs till date,” she recalled.

The First Lady warned that the consequences of having a large number of girls out of school in the country could spell doom for their personal ambitions and the overall development of the country.

She said there was no justification for having barriers prevent more than half of the population of the country from reaching their goals and full potentials in today’s world.

The First Lady urged stakeholders to stand in the gap and provide easy access to qualitative education for those disadvantaged young girls and women all over the country.

She said: “We cannot afford to squander the potential and talents of half of our population. Ensuring access to inclusive and equitable quality education that fosters lifelong learning opportunities for everyone is essential, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 4 which is to “Ensure Inclusive and Equitable, Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All”.

“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, values education and has introduced the National Student Loan Scheme which is now in effect for our youth to have unhindered access to education, knowing that education is the bedrock of national development and the cornerstone upon which dreams are built, skills acquired and aspirations generally realized,” she added.

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, in his remarks, expressed delight at the siting of the Alternative High School For Girls in his state.

He promised to follow up with the launch and provide the needed support to ensure a seamless operation of the school when completed.

Adeleke stressed that his administration was committed to providing the girl child with necessary tools to make her life meaningful and worthwhile.

He said: “Our administration is also committed to supporting girl child education. We have introduced a series of programmes which strengthen the capacity of families to provide basic needs. Hence we emphasize workers welfare as a critical first line item in our five point agenda.”

“We embrace the mantra that when you educate women, you educate a nation. When you train a girl, you build a strong future for the nation. We join Your Excellencies in this noble ambition,”

“Your Excellency,  Osun State is undergoing total transformation with women at the heart of our agenda. We assure you of our support for the Renewed Hope Agenda, especially our deep partnership to ensure the success of federal policies for a better Nigeria.”

the governor added.

The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission in Osun State, Hamid Bobboyi, praised the foresight of Mrs Tinubu for attempting to re-engage young girls and women who dropped out of school.

Bobboyi said the growing number of this category of drop-outs was worrisome, attributing the prevalence to several factors peculiar to particular regions in the country.

He said: “The available data show that of the 3,904,713 pupils in Primary Six across the country in 2021, who were expected to transit to JSS in 2022, only 1,602,213 could be accounted for in JSS One of 2022.

“While there are regional variations, the problem is nationwide and deserves to be addressed urgently. It is necessary to engage this category of children and young adults and give them another chance to complete their education.

It is also in this regard that I feel highly obliged to congratulate, once again, Her Excellency First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her foresight in adopting the Alternative School and indeed her choice of Osun State as her next destination in launching the programme”, Bobboyi added.

Bobboyi further explained that the school would be fitted with Nursery play area for the Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) since some of its enrolees might be accompanied by young children of nursery school age.

He said the facility would not only allow their mothers to concentrate on their programme, it would also entice the young children to learn early and provide the foundation they require to excel in their educational careers.

Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, wife of Chief of Staff to the President, Salamatu Gbajabiamila and first ladies of Kwara, Kogi, Delta, Abia, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Oyo states.

The Alternative High School For Girls is a project of the Renewed Hope Initiative of Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu.