The education of the Girl-Child has been said to be pertinent for the attainment of national development.
A Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Prof. Lawrence Ikechi Ajoku stated this at the 36th Inaugural Lecture of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), PortHarcourt, recently.
Speaking on the theme of the lecture ‘ Egalitarianism and Equalization of Educational Opportunities In Nigeria’, Ajoku said that the girl-child education in Nigeria was faced with various challenges including cultural and socio-econmic, early marriage, religious, ignorance and illiteracy of parents, patrilineal/ patriarchal lineage and family among others stating however that these challenges must be surmounted in order to obtain equal educational opportunity.
While noting that over the years, efforts have been made to address gender imbalance in access to basic education in the country with successive governments demonstrating commitment to issues and concerns of female and girl-child education, Ajoku regretted that the percentage of
girls’ access to basic education particularly in the Northern States has remained low.
The education expert said” the right of girls to education is one of the most critical of all rights. Like their male counterparts, they have the right to education and skill acquisition, the right to career choice and self-actualization. Girl-child education is pertinent for the attainment of national development”.
“ The role of women in national development cannot be underestimated. Girl’s education is one of the most effective ways for ending poverty in developing nations. Generally, women’s education leads to significant social and economic development”, he stated.
Ajoku averred that without education, girls were denied the opportunity to not only develop their full potentials but play their productive roles in their families, society, country and world at large.
According to him, the woman, at present, cannot afford to be ignorant in a world that is moving too fast with daily innovations and progress and stressed the need for the Nigerian government to ensure that girls have equal educational opportunities as the boys.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu