The First lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday performed the ground breaking/ turning of SOD for the construction of the alternative high school for girls in Osogbo, the Osun Started capital.
Speaking at the ceremony held at Oke D. O, Ilesa road, Osogbo, Tinubu said the alarming rate of school dropouts among girls are a stark reminder of the need for alternative solutions in their educational pursuits.
The First lady noted that the consequences of this challenge are profound, affecting not only their individual lives, but also has attendant socio-economic implications on the Nation.
According to the first lady, “I envisioned and introduced the idea for the establishment of an Alternative High School for Girls, a vision which was accepted and utilised by the Lagos State Ministry of Education in 2007 when my husband was the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and this particular school still runs till date.
“My motivation as an educationist and life long teacher stemmed from the desire to see young girls and women who dropped out of school due to unplanned pregnancies, cultural barriers, economic or financial reasons and many more, have a second chance to complete high school, acquire higher education and valuable life skills, to enable them reach their full potential in life.
“In a world where every girl deserves the opportunity to thrive and reach her fullest potential, it is a sad thing to witness the barriers that stand in the way of their education. No doubt, without education, girls would lack necessary skills to support themselves and access information to make informed decisions about their health and future.
“We cannot afford to squander the potential and talents of half of our population. Ensuring access to inclusive and equitable quality education that fosters lifelong learning opportunities for everyone is essential, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 4 which is to “Ensure Inclusive and Equitable, Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All”.
Tinubu disclosed that Osun State was chosen as the location for the school through a transparent and unbiased raffle draw process at a strategic meeting with the State First Ladies.
In his speech, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke assured the First lady that his administration will follow up and provide needed support to ensure a robust operation upon completion of the school.
Adeleke said, “We assure you of our support for the Renewed Hope Agenda especially our deep partnership to ensure the success of federal policies for a better Nigeria. We appreciate current policies of the Federal Government and we are daily interfacing with federal agencies for successful outcomes.
“We embrace the mantra that when you educate women, you educate a nation. When you train a girl , you build a strong future for the nation. We join Your Excellencies in this noble ambitio.”
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi said the available data show that of the 3,904,713 pupils in Primary Six across the country in 2021, who were expected to transit to JSS in 2022, only 1,602,213 could be accounted for in JSS One of 2022.
Bobboyi stated that the school will be responding to the shifting emphasis on acquisition of entrepreneurial skills which will provide opportunities for the learners to acquire life sustaining skills that will make them, self-reliant income generators and ultimately improve the standard of living of the family.
Earlier, the First lady had met with the traditional rulers in the State, at the Government House, in Oke-Fia, Osogbo where she appreciated the support they are giving to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Wife of Vice-President, Nana Shettima, wife of Chief of Staff to the President, wife of the Senate President, First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun, First Lady of Kogi, Sefiyat Ododo, First Lady of Kwara, Dr. Mrs. Olufolake AbdulRazaq,First Lady Of Delta,Tobore Oborevwori, First Lady of Lagos, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Edo State, Betsy Obaseki,First Lady of Abia, Priscilla Otti, and First Lady of Oyo State, Tamunominini Makinde were present at the ceremony.
