Malala Yousafzai, a campaigner and UN ambassador, met Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to discuss her support for female child education.
During the visit, which also happened to be her 26th birthday celebration, she estimated that despite the advantages of education, over 120 million female children were still not receiving it.
Recall that Malala spoke at the UN ten years ago. Later, she was appointed UN Peace Messenger. In celebration of her tenth year at the UN, she visited Nigeria once more to further spread the word about the condition of girl children and the importance of pursuing a comprehensive education in order to make them useful members of society.
Soon after her meeting with the second-ranking citizen, she told State House Correspondents that the main reason for her trip to the capital was to increase support for girls’ education.
I’m in Nigeria to celebrate my 26th birthday, she said. Since I made my UN speech at age 16, I have traveled the world meeting girls from all cultures and bringing attention to the problems that females face.
“As people have spoken out about my education, I want them to consider the education of other girls as well. We know that there are currently more than 120 million girls who do not have access to education.
“Girls’ education is significant in Nigeria, thus I’m here. The outcome will influence Nigeria’s future. I’m here in order to draw attention to such problems. Being fortunate to have met girls in Abuja, I’m here to talk and share my ideas with the community. I also had the opportunity to visit Borno State, where I met amazing girls, visited their schools, and interacted with education campaigners. We have optimism for a better future for the education of all children, especially girls, in this country because of the work of education advocates, girls, civic society, and government. I was quite fortunate to meet with the vice president, who gave us his time and assistance.
She asked the Nigerian government at all levels to take deliberate steps to encourage girls to attend school and make sure that every kid has access to a full education.
“I firmly believe that every child should have access to a free, high-quality education, and I kindly ask that we all contribute financially to guarantee that no child in this nation is left behind.
“Three times, I have visited Nigeria. I came here in 2014 to demonstrate support for the kidnapped Chibok girls, and I also got to meet their parents. In 2017, I returned, observed more of the work being done by activists, and made new friends. I’m back here and I’ve witnessed how much has changed in the last few years, and it’s all thanks to the dedication of public servants, the labor of advocates for civil society and education, and the perseverance of girls.
“I had the opportunity to interact with females and learn firsthand how they are defending their rights. They aren’t keeping quiet, either. They aspire to receive higher-quality education for themselves. So, that’s what gives me hope and what draws me to Nigeria. I believe that shows us that if you give females a chance and if you invest in their education, Nigeria’s future is bright, she said following the meeting at the presidency.
