By Adeyinka Adeniran
Over 300 senior girls from secondary schools in Ibadan, have benefited from the inspiration and motivations from leading women across various fields of endeavours.
The event facilitated by a non governmental organization, the FAME Foundation was in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Event 2024.
The one-day collaboration event themed “Girls’ Vision for the Future”, held at the St Louis Girls Grammar School, Ibadan at the weekend.
The event covered several activities including inspiring talk sessions, dialogue, and healthy debate, led by the girls and the most inspiring female youth leaders in Oyo state and Nigeria.
Some of the distinguished guests and speakers at the event include the Oyo state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke and the representative of the Special Assistant to the President Bola Tinubu on Youth Initiatives, Ms Tinuade Mary.
Addressing the young girls, Adegoke, the first female Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Oyo State, acknowledged the potential, talents, and strengths of girls while recognizing the challenges they face, including access to education.
She urged them to “believe in themselves and their abilities; pursue your passions and dreams; speak out against injustice and inequality and support one another and lift each other up.”
Commenting, Executive Director, of The FAME Foundation, Raphael Stephen said: “In my work in girls’ education and as Executive Director of The FAME Foundation, I’ve seen first-hand the power mentorship can have.
“Peer role modeling profoundly affects young girls, especially when that role model is an inspiring female. Girls know their situations best and have lived experiences to share.
“We recognize their voices must be part of the conversation and amplified to those who make decisions that determine their futures. It provided an opportunity to hear directly from the girls and listen to them share their vision for the future. Through this initiative, we can accelerate progress toward a future where every girl can envision and fulfill her potential.
“The FAME Foundation Day of the Girl Initiative was a pivotal moment for amplifying the voices of girls and advancing the cause of girl child education in Oyo Sate and Nigeria.”
He added that, in nearly a decade, the Foundation has impacted over 25,000 girls directly and 50,000 girls indirectly across over 200 schools in Nigeria, trained and equipped them with leadership skills allowing them to find their voice and become better leaders, take on greater leadership opportunities, and become changemakers in their communities.
“FAME believes that through deliberate investments in girls’ education, we can foster a brighter future for girls and our nation. FAME has built a record of accomplishment over half a decade by delivering high-quality leadership programmes to secondary school students across Nigeria and recently hit a major milestone of over 40,000 students reach at the end of the 2024 third quarter”, he stressed.
Also speaking, The principal of St Louis Grammar School, Dr Oyeyemi Shadare appreciated the foundation for celebrating the girls of the school.
She said, “The girls experienced a mind-shift, saw their worth, began to envision, raised their aspirations, dared to dream, raised their ambitions, and now believe they can be whoever they set their mind to become in life.”
High point of the event was the presentation of cash prizes, drinks and sanitary towels sponsored by the Foundation, Nigerian Breweries Plc. and Hey Girl Foundation, were given to the participants.
