The Federal Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing gender disparities in the education sector and creating safer, more inclusive learning environments nationwide.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Folake Olatunji-David, gave the assurance on Monday in Abuja at an event commemorating the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.

The theme of the event is ”The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead.”

Ms Olatunji-David said the government was strengthening policies and programmes to improve girls’ access to education, retention, transition and completion.

”We also reaffirm our commitment to expanding access to secondary and tertiary education for girls, especially in STEM fields,” she said.

She added that the government was implementing the National Policy on Gender Education and collaborating with development partners and non-governmental organisations to expand safe learning spaces.

Ms Olatunji-David said the initiatives also included menstrual hygiene support and scholarships to encourage school attendance.

According to her, the government is adopting an integrated approach that combines education with health, protection, and empowerment to enable girls to fulfil their potential.

She cited the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Lumina Project for Girls as part of efforts to improve educational opportunities and equip girls with relevant skills.

Ms Olatunji-David added that the government would promote digital literacy, leadership development, vocational training and life skills while strengthening protection against gender-based violence.

The permanent secretary called on parents, communities, faith-based organisations, educators, donors, and the private sector to take collective responsibility for ensuring that girls are safe, educated, respected, and empowered.

“Across Nigeria, millions of girls are proving every day that they have the courage, the intelligence, and the creativity to lead; yet many continue to face obstacles such as poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, limited access to education, and sometimes lack of safe places, and this restricts their dreams and hinders their potential,” she said.

Earlier, the ministry’s director of secondary education, Adeniji Ibrahim, urged schools to provide safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments while encouraging girls to pursue education, develop confidence and aspire to leadership positions.

”When we educate, protect and empower a girl, we invest not only in her future but also in the future of her family, community and nation,” he said.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Education Officer in Abuja, Blessing Afuwai, said one in every four girls in Nigeria was out of school, while nearly three-quarters lacked foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Ms Afuwai attributed the situation to poverty, insecurity, unsafe learning environments and harmful cultural practices, which exposed girls to child marriage, adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence.

She noted that poverty forced some families to keep their daughters out of school, while insecurity and learning environments further compounded the problem.

”When girls are denied opportunities to learn and develop skills, their prospects for employment, economic empowerment and meaningful participation in society are significantly diminished,” she said.

She urged the government, communities and development partners to bridge the gap between their aspirations and the realities confronting them.

Ms Afuwai reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the federal government to ensure that every girl enrolled in school acquires relevant skills and completes her education.

A student of Federal Government College, Kwali, Abuja, Victory Hope-Omenma, called on the government to provide scholarships, improve hostel safety and make sanitary pads more accessible to girls.

The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually to promote girls’ rights and highlight the challenges they face worldwide.

(NAN)