Educating girls is crucial for Nigeria’s human capital development for the country to realise its potential globally – Minister Onu
The Nigerian Government is set to boost young girls’ education in rural areas as part of an ongoing economic development initiative in Nigeria. The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, revealed the strategy when the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) visited him recently.
Ogbonnaya Onu said that educating girls is crucial in Nigeria’s human capital development, arguing that, for Nigeria to realise its potential globally, the country must make a strong impact in the deployment of science, technology and innovation through boosting girls’ education in the rural areas. He revealed that the Government will not leaving any citizen behind, and particularly young girls, in its human, economic and political development plan for Nigeria.
The Minister called on the OWSD to ‘harness and mentor’ the potential of the young girls in schools through her chapters located within rural areas across the nation. He also challenged the organisation to take the lead in making significant contributions to national development in all the sectors of the economy.
“When we harness the potentials of our girl – child education in Nigeria, we will reduce poverty, provide jobs and create wealth as well as generate opportunities for future entrepreneurs. This is a national effort whereby every Nigerian should play a major role,” the Minister argued.
In her welcome address at the meeting, the National President of OWSD, Prof Ibiyinka Fuwape, said that the organization is already poised to assist the Ministry in achieving the mandate.
Read more: Federal Ministry of Science and Technology