Tendai Rupapa in ABUJA, Nigeria
NIGERIAN President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) for its efforts to empower and create better opportunities for the girl child through the #We are Equal Campaign which has so far been launched in 15 African countries.
President Tinubu was speaking at the launch of the campaign in his country spearheaded by his wife Senator Oluremi Tinubu which was attended by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and her counterparts.
The Nigerian launch was held under the theme: "Education as a powerful tool for change: No girl left behind".
Dr Mnangagwa launched a similar campaign in Zimbabwe in November last year.
President Tinubu saluted the commitment of the First Ladies to advance gender equality and narrow the gender gap across the continent.
"This campaign holds significant importance for us in Africa. I therefore congratulate you all. The focus of this campaign is critical for Africa's development, if we are to attain gender equity and ensure equal opportunities for all.
"We must continue to create opportunities for all our children to access quality education without leaving anyone behind, particularly the girl child. We must engender a society where everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of who they are, because doing that leads to a stronger and more peaceful society for all," the President said.
He emphasised that education is the cornerstone of national development, and that when girls are empowered to pursue their dreams, communities thrive, economies prosper, and nations succeed.
"We are who we are as Africans. Believing in ourselves will definitely help us to walk together in unity. I want to say again that I am firmly committed to ensuring that the girl child is exposed to quality education that prepares women and girls to lead and bring positive changes to our communities," he said.
He further urged the First Ladies to continue spearheading the campaign and narrowing the gender gap in opportunities and appointments across the continent. "Let us carry forward this campaign which promises to give an educated girl child, the potential to bring the necessary change and transformation in African communities for the better. No one can do this better than you gathered here today, the First Ladies," he said.
The Nigerian President said the #We are Equal campaign enjoined nations to work together.
"We thank you First Ladies for being together to navigate the future of the girl child. African First Ladies, keep moving, leading, believing and working hard, we will follow. I wish you all fruitful deliberations," the President said.
In her solidarity remarks, Dr Mnangagwa said what Nigeria had done truly resonated with the theme of the 28th OAFLAD General Assembly which was held in Addis Ababa in February: "Educate her and transform Africa: Enhancing access to health and education for the 21st century's African women and girls".
"I recognise and appreciate Your Excellency as the event demonstrates your full support and commitment to OAFLAD's continental #We are Equal campaign and rallying behind the call to close the gender gap in Africa. I see that you are going full steam ahead and supporting the education and welfare of the girl child. Too many times on the continent, a girl child is not in school because of poverty, teenage pregnancy, early marriages, not being considered valuable by the culture of that society and preference for the boy child to receive an education," she said.
Amai Mnangagwa said the evidence was there that gender equality drives social and economic progress for all.
Educating the girl child, she said, had immense potential to reduce poverty on the African continent and to improve the health and well-being of women and girls, their children and their families everywhere.
"I am of the belief that we owe it to our girls and to future generations to close the gender gap in Africa. Enhancing access to health and education is truly the way to go if we are to achieve gender equality and gender parity.
"Your Excellency First Lady of the Republic of Nigeria Madam Senator Oluremi Tinubu, recognising all these challenges and bottlenecks to girl child education, you have come up with this innovative approach to empowering the girl child. I am impressed by the alternative high school for girls' initiative that you have been implementing here in Nigeria. Our girls deserve better on the African continent," she said.
The mother of the nation said Senator Tinubu was giving a chance to girls for the betterment of not just themselves and their families, but for the economic development of the country and beyond.
"You are creating a future where gender equity will become a reality in fulfilment of the African Union vision 2063 and the Africa we want," she said.
Dr Mnangagwa gave the meeting a glimpse into the work she is doing in Zimbabwe saying she provides scholarships to both boys and girls coming from challenging environments in both urban and rural areas in all the country's provinces.
"I believe that a sound education will lift girls coming from vulnerable communities out of poverty. I do this through the Angel of Hope Foundation, a charitable foundation that I founded in 2018 after I assumed the role of First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe," she said.
Dr Mnangagwa said she remains resolute in believing in the value of educating the girl child and that this does not in any way negate the importance of continuing to educate the boy child.
Host First Lady, Senator Tinubu explained why she chose to use education as the driving point as she welcomed her peers from the region.
"Today I am delighted to join the league of all my esteemed sisters who have championed the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development #We are Equal campaign in their respective countries," she said.
The #We are Equal campaign, Sen Tinubu said, is a year-round continent-wide initiative led by OAFLAD and it united African First Ladies and development partners in their collective efforts to achieve gender equity and bridge the gender gap throughout the continent.
"The campaign is focused on four pillars to end gender-based violence, education, and economic empowerment. To rally stakeholders and call for action around each of these key issues. To promote the #We are Equal campaign in Nigeria, I have decided to use education as a tool while also not neglecting other pillars of the campaign, many of which are also being championed under the scope of the renewed hope initiative which is led by my office," she said.
Sen Tinubu said it was essential to give girls unhindered access to education knowing that education was a bedrock of national development and the cornerstone on which dreams are built, skills acquired and aspirations generally realised.
Ghanaian First Lady Rebecca Akufo Addo said she was glad to be part of the function for two reasons.
"The first is that promoting gender equality is critical for the development of Africa. There is a need for total engagement on the skills for both men and women to drive Africa's Development Agenda. The second reason is that I identify completely with the theme of this event. Education is a powerful tool for change.
"No girl should be left behind. Congratulations Mrs Tinubu on your vision to ensure that no girl is left behind with the reintroduction of an alternative high school for girls. I believe that given the opportunity, girls and women have a lot to offer to our development. If we keep these girls marginalised, we are only perpetuating a cycle of gender inequality," she said.
Kenyan First Lady Mrs Rachel Ruto spoke along the same lines saying the #We are Equal campaign was a unifying factor.
"Together as members of OAFLAD we stand united as we launch the unified campaign which focuses on four key pillars including education. This is significant because education is the pillar that connects the other three pillars which are health, economic empowerment and gender-based violence.
"Education enables an understanding of the importance of good health. Education contributes to economic empowerment and financial freedom and finally education empowers people, minimising the occurrence of gender-based violence," she said.
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OAFLAD Executive Secretary Dr Nardos Berhanu praised First Ladies for their commitment to improving the welfare of the girl child and young women.
"As we gaze towards the future, let us reaffirm our dedication to the noble wish of OAFLAD and join hands in forging ahead in having a more prosperous Africa for generations to come," she said.
A UNAids representative praised Nigeria for launching the #We are equal Campaign and for having learnt from Dr Mnangagwa.
"I would like to say on behalf of UNAIDS, we are grateful and optimistic. Thank you for the launch of the #We are Equal campaign. As this is happening, just less than six months ago we were in Victoria Falls having been invited by the First Lady of Zimbabwe Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and Sen Tinubu you attended your first meeting of OAFLAD.
"It was about collective leadership on how we can end Aids in children in Africa. I really want to commend you for really getting the ball rolling in less than six months.
"We were really humbled when you said you were there to learn and I can see you have learned very quickly. This is a monumental beacon of the new hope, boundless opportunities and empowerment of girls and young women in Nigeria," she said.
Speaking at the same occasion, a WHO representative highlighted the need for nations to accelerate the implementation of Strategic Development Goals (SDGs).
"The time couldn't be right; the work is lagging behind with SDGs. The UN secretary general calls for acceleration to rescue the SDGs. At the launch of the SDGs in 2016, the UN secretary general launched a strategy for women, adolescent and children 2030 which was articulated around three priorities.
"The first priority was to end maternal child mortality. The second priority was to thrive, giving the opportunity for children, women and adolescents and the last one to transform and here I realise that the #We are equal campaign that is being launched today addresses the area of transformation and also its an accelerator in its own right to catch up," he said.
