By Mohammed Ibrahim Yaba
Kaduna — Some emirs have expressed worry over the poor record of girl-child education in five northern states.
The emirs said insecurity, poverty, illiteracy, among other challenges, were bedeviling the development of girl-child education in states like Borno Zamfara, Gombe, Sokoto and Kebbi states.
The Emir of Argungu and the Coordinator, Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, Samaila Mohammed Mera, stated this while briefing newsmen in Kaduna after a 3-day event on keeping girls in schools.
He called on relevant authorities to continue to step up efforts in campaigning for girl-child education in the region.
He said the meeting discussed “why our girls are not in school, what stopped them from not completing their education” and strategised on ways to ensure that they are educated for the benefit of the community.
“We have many challenges why our girls drop out of school. This includes illiteracy, economy, and insecurity. Borno is the most affected state because of insecurity, but here we have Zamfara, Gombe, Sokoto and Kebbi, which, according to statistics, are the worst when it comes to girl child education. Our next tour will be Ethiopia, where girl-child school enrollment is also very low.”
The Lead Advocate for keeping girls in school in Africa, Dr. Mairo Mandara, said the campaign was to ensure that every girl complete her secondary school education.
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