According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), over 1.3 million adolescent girls in Nigeria dropout of school every years
The report says that dolescents dropout before reaching the last year of lower secondary education.
In addition to this, UNICEF also said that 50 per cent of Nigerian women are offline, with no access to the internet, while 20 per cent are less likely than men to own smartphones, creating an exclusion gap.
The Nation reports that the Organisation said this in Abuja, while marking the 2021 International Day of the Girl child with the theme ‘digital generation, our generation.’
Deputy Representative UNICEF, Rushnan Murzata who made the statement said digital inclusion and specifically digital literacy is becoming just as crucial to well-being and success as the ability to read and write.
She said, “over 1.3 million Nigerian adolescent girls are estimated to drop out every year before reaching the last year of lower secondary education.
“On digital access in low and middle income countries such as Nigeria, more than 50 per cent of women are offline, and women are 20 per cent less likely than men to own a smart phone. Digital inclusion and specifically digital literacy is becoming just as crucial to well-being and success as the ability to read and write.
“The gender digital divide in connectivity, access to devices and the skills to use are real. Girls are less privileged in this area. This inequality has created an exclusion gap across geographies and generations.
“We want to use the opportunity of this year’s celebration to ask for improved access to digital skills and other life skills by girls for transition to secondary education. Let’s make girls their own advocates for girls’ education and digital literacy.
“Adolescent girls in Nigeria already face many challenges in the economic, social and cultural sphere. This year’s theme on digital generation creates awareness of additional challenges.”
In her statement, the Director General (DG), National Center for Women Development (NCWD), Dr. Asabe Bashir, said the COVID-19 pandemic heightened the challenges of the girl child in diverse ways.
She said, “It is no longer news that the girl child continues to face challenges in many countries of the world, despite the efforts of many national and international organizations. The challenges have further been heightened tremendously by the COVID-19 pandemic in diverse ways ranging from educational discrimination, being hired out as domestic help or used as baby factories; sexual abuse, early and forced marriage and other.”
To mark the occasion three adolescent girls were given the opportunity to pilot the affairs of the Minister of state for education, Minister of Women affairs and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for one hour.