The federal ministries of women affairs (FMoWA) and education are to collaborate to advance girl-child emancipation, poverty and empowerment through education.

This was disclosed during a courtesy visit to FMoWA headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja by Suwaiba Sa’id-Ahmad, minister of state for education, and other officials of the ministry.

Receiving the team, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the minister of women affairs, emphasised the need to use education as a tool to reduce poverty and empower the girl child in Nigeria.

Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim said that the visit was apt, underscoring the importance of ensuring girls’ access to quality education.

According to her, education is the foundation for sustainable development, and investing in the girl child will lead to long-term economic growth and societal transformation.

The minister expressed confidence that, in the coming years, women will dominate various sectors of the economy due to increased access to education and empowerment initiatives.

She stressed the need for a strong collaboration between the two ministries in advancing the emancipation of the girl child in Nigeria.

Earlier, Mrs Sa’id-Ahmed, minister of state for education, highlighted the alarming statistics from UNICEF, which revealed that 15 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls.

Mrs Sa’id-Ahmed said that the ministry’s “Lumina Programme” was strategically designed to target out-of-school children and women by creating opportunities for their empowerment.

“It focuses on the well-being and educational advancement of the girl child,” she said.

According to her, the programme will commence with 10,000 communities, providing starter packs to support girls in accessing education and vocational skills.

” When you are fighting poverty, your number one target should be to empower women.

“If a woman is economically viable, the community will be viable, and that is why we must reduce poverty by empowering women,” she said.

Meanwhile, Maryam Ismaila-Keshinro, permanent secretary, FMoWA, said that the collaborative efforts between both ministries would illuminate the path for girls and women in Nigeria.

Mrs Keshinro further reassured the ministry of education of full support from the women affairs ministry in ensuring the programme’s success.

“This initiative marks a significant step toward eliminating barriers to education for girls and fostering gender equality in Nigeria,” she said.

(NAN)