First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake Abdulrazaq, has called for equal access to quality education for every child, regardless of their socio-economic background.
Ambassador Abdulrazaq made this appeal during a lecture titled “The Need for Girl-Child Education” at an event organized by the Havilah Foundation in collaboration with Chidimma.
The event, held at Tanke Secondary School premises in Ilorin, saw the distribution of educational materials—including school bags, exercise books, mathematical sets, and uniforms—to 700 students across 14 public schools.
Represented by the Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Dr. Afeez Abolore Alabi, the First Lady emphasized the importance of education in line with Kwara State’s Ten-Year Strategic Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She expressed her gratitude to the organizers for their dedication to education and their support for underprivileged students.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Rebecca Bake, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every child counts in its education policy.
She urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the materials, avoid distractions, and focus on their academic goals.
Similarly, the Secretary of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Adebisi Omolara Gloria, encouraged female students to take their education seriously and compete effectively with their male counterparts.
The Education Secretary for Ilorin South Local Government, Mr. Ibrahim Saka, highlighted the need to empower women through quality education to help them achieve their full potential.
Project Manager for the Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Network for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) Project, Dr. Ogunshola Olufemi, noted that beneficiaries were selected based on their level of vulnerability.
He added that School heads, principals, and representatives from SUBEB and the Ministry of Education were involved in the selection process.
Dr. Olufemi disclosed that the materials, valued at ₦50 million, were provided to support the education of less privileged pupils and students in the community.
CHIDIMMA and HAVILAH FOUNDATION National Technical Lead, Tiwatope Olumide expressed commitment towards supporting Kwara state government ten years development plan of an Improved access to quality social services
According to her, based on the last school census and baseline data, which showed an urgent need for ensuring gender and education equity for girls child education, in collaboration with Seed of praise, through the support of SUBEB and Kwara state Ministry of Education
The National Technical Lead recognized the role media also play particularly Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ in the campaign on adolescent child education and critical role of boys and men in ensuring safe city for women and girls.
One of the beneficiaries that spoke , Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Tanke, Ilorin, Mrs. Kuburat Olumoh expressed deep appreciation to the donor organizations for their commitment to education, particularly for adolescent girls in the community.
She praised the initiative, describing it as extraordinary and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Mrs. Olumoh noted that the gesture would significantly advance the cause of quality education and gender equality, inspiring hope among the students.
The District Head (Alangua) Tanke, Ilorin, Alhaji Umar Salaudeen acknowledged the gesture of the NGO and other relevant stakeholders in the provision of scholastic materials to the less privileged in his domain
Alhaji Salaudeen applauded the NGO and the office of the First lady, Ambassor Olufolake Abdulrazaq for their determination towards entrenching gender equality and emancipation of female folks in the society
Items distributed benefited 700 students from 14 public schools, comprising five primary schools, six junior secondary schools, and three senior secondary schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area.
