GIRL CHILD EDUCATION PIVOTAL TO NATION BUILDING-SCHOLARS

By Khadijah Haidar

Scholars define education as the process through which individuals are made more functional members of their society.

Research indicates that,to educate a girl child means to train her mind,character and abilities as education is a fundamental human right that should be availed to every girl child irrespective of the age and nationality.

Females in Nigeria have a basic human right to be educated and this right has been recognized since the 1948 adoption of the universal declaration on human rights.

According to a report in 2014,female education has an important impact on the development of a stable,prosperous and healthy nation state resulting in active productive and empowered citizens.

In 2009,the Nigerian population council (NPC), observed that women with higher educational qualifications are more likely to be in formal wage employment than those at the level of primary school education.

The federal government,state and local government’s have done their possible best in mapping out policies and programs aimed at increasing school enrollment especially for the girl child.

Consequently, Kano state government has established a girl child education unit to cater for the needs and aspirations of females in terms of education.

In addition to the approval for the establishment of more girls schools to increase enrollment and upgrade females education to international standard.

Meanwhile governments groups,non governmental organizations and relevant stakeholders have intensified efforts in encouraging girls to acquire education.

Among such groups is Jahun educational development association, that organized an event to commemorate international day for education, and honour the first female indigeneous Phd holder, among others.

The ward recipient, Dr. Maryam Idris Jahun is a lecturer with department of physics Bayero University Kano,shared her experience with radio Nigeria on the need for women to set all obstacles aside and focus more on how to develop themselves academically.

She urged the general pubic to support girl child education as it is one of the catalysts to positive societal development.

The event themed” The quest of Higher educational achievement to the development of Jahun local government” attracted large number of academicians, government officials and the general public.