UNFPA partners states to boost girls enrolment in school
that it would scale-up its partnership with states
and development partners to increase the level of
girl-child enrolment in schools in Kaduna, Sokoto
and Kebbi states.
UNFPA Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms
Ratidzai Ndhlovu, said this in an interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
She said that the aim was not only to encourage
enrolment but also keep the girl-child in school.
According to her, only 1.6 per cent of girls in
Sokoto state have completed secondary school
education, with 78.5 per cent of girls in the state
having no formal education.
“In Kebbi, 2.3 per cent of the girls completed
secondary education while 75 per cent of the girls
in that state have no formal education.
“In Kaduna state, 11.4 per cent of the girls
completed secondary education while 40.3 per cent
of the girls in the state have no formal education,’’
she said.
She explained that the situation necessitated UNFPA
to evolve the Adolescent Girl Initiative (AGI) in
Northern Nigeria, aimed at addressing the
challenges.
According to her, AGI is an initiative where girls are
enrolled from primary to secondary school and
financially supported to stay in school and also
empowered beyond the classroom.
“The girls are enrolled in the UNFPA safe spaces
where they are supported with extra literacy
classes, vocational skills, reproductive and child
health information.’’
The country representative said the extra classes
were meant to ensure that the girls were better
prepared and empowered to ultimately perform
well in school and in their adult lives.
She noted that there was a strong and positive
relationship between access to formal education and
healthier reproductive behaviours among girls.
“Six years or more of schooling is strongly
associated with delayed marriage, improved use of
health services and contraceptive use.
“This is because when they go through the
programme, it would lead to reduction in maternal
mortality, because they will value institutions at
delivery,’’ she said.
Ndhlovu added that the initiative would also help
the girls value family planning and related
processes that would make them have quality
lifestyles and become strong human beings.
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