Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has advocated improved welfare for the girl-child, saying they are the future leaders of the country.

Mr Egbedun stated this on Monday while hosting the ‘First Nigeria Girls Parliamentary Day’ at the assembly in collaboration with the Value Female Network Africa, a non-governmental organisation that prioritises welfare of girls/women.

He said, “I am honoured to welcome you to the first special Nigeria Girls Parliamentary Day, organised by Value Female Network in collaboration with Osun assembly. Today we have the opportunity to come together and amplify our voices to advocate change and inspire one another to make a difference. I believe that by working together, we can overcome the challenges limiting you, including limited access to education, gender-based violence and menstrual health.

“The future of our country rest in the hands of our young people and the young girls here today that have the potential to become leaders of tomorrow.’’

He tasked the participants to take lessons learnt from the parliamentary discourse to inspire change in their communities.

He stated, “You are the catalyst of change and I believe in your ability to make a difference.”

Speaking, Coordinator of Value Female Network Africa, Dr Costly Aderibigbe, said that the programme was organised to promote the rights of girls in Nigeria.

Ms Aderibigbe described the girl-child as a treasure to society, saying that it was necessary to impact them positively and promote them for a better society.

She stated, “When we train a girl-child, we train a society because they will give birth and that is why we need to train our girls for a better future.’’

In her remarks, Wife of the state governor, Ngozi Adeleke, charged young girls to be more courageous and disciplined.

Mr Adeleke, represented by Olushola Omotunde, advised the girls to cultivate the spirit of resilience and hardwork for a brighter future.

Some of the girls who spoke at the programme highlighted the challenges they were facing which included menstrual hygiene, gender-based violence and discrimination faced by people with disabilities.

They solicited support for better welfare and treatment for young girls in the country.

(NAN)