Opemipo Kolade, a facilitator at the August Girls Assembly, has appealed to the government to strengthen the education system to provide quality education for all Nigerian children.

Ms Kolade made the call in Ibadan on Saturday at the closing of the 23rd edition of the August Girls Assembly, organised by the Worth-in-Womanhood Ministry of Vine Branch Ministries.

She said that provision of quality education should be a right of every Nigerian child and not a privilege.

According to her, Nigeria’s future depends on the quality of education provided to today’s children.

Ms Kolade said that over the years, the programme had revealed a decline in the quality of education for many students, with some of the participants not being able to write or express themselves properly in the English language.

She said this indicates a fundamental problem that needs urgent correction.

According to her, the annual assembly, which targets girls from ages eight to 19, has continued to expose participants to issues around identity, self-worth and personal development.

Ms Kolade said the 2026 edition, with the theme: “Identity Unfiltered: The Real Me in Christ,” aimed to help girls understand their identity and worth beyond societal expectations.

“Once you know who you are, other things usually would line up.

“We want the girls to know what God’s Word says about them and not define themselves by what people or friends think about them,” she said.

The programme attracted more than 1,000 girls through its physical and virtual platforms, with participants joining from Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

She urged the government to place greater emphasis on foundational education, noting that inadequate education could leave young people without the basic skills needed to participate effectively in society.

“We need to get education right from the foundation, from the very beginning,’ she said.

Ms Kolade, however, expressed concerns that some children could complete secondary education without being able to communicate effectively or write properly.

She described the situation as detrimental to the country’s long-term development and called for greater investment in education to prepare children for leadership and to build a stronger future for Nigeria.

“These children we see now, they are the ones that will lead in future. They are indeed the future of our nation,

“So, we must get it right where education is concerned,” she said.

 (NAN)