Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Wife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for girls to become leaders of change through educational and economic empowerment.
Speaking at an event marking the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, Mrs. Mbah said the government was establishing modern Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to equip girls with market-relevant skills that would make them self-reliant and economically independent.
The event, themed “The Girl I Am, the Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” focused on promoting girl-child leadership and resilience in the face of societal challenges.
Mrs. Mbah noted that girls often face unique and disproportionate challenges, including early marriage, economic hardship, and gender-based violence, which hinder their personal growth and education.
She emphasized that the day’s theme moves beyond viewing the girl child as a victim of crisis to recognizing her as a leader, an agent of transformation, and a frontline responder in shaping her own future.
According to her, the state government is also addressing health-related barriers affecting girls, including maternal and child mortality, while promoting education on menstrual hygiene.
“A girl cannot lead if she is not healthy, protected, and treated with dignity,” she said.
The governor’s wife described a frontline girl as “an innovative student harnessing technology to find solutions to local challenges,” urging parents to trust their daughters’ judgment, support their ideas, and remove barriers that hinder them from realizing their full potential.
She encouraged the girls to remain bold, focused, and determined in pursuing knowledge despite setbacks, stressing that “an empowered girl grows into an empowered woman capable of driving economic growth and solving global crises.”
In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Onyinye Akubuilo-Akpalanma, advised girls to avoid indecent dressing and resist the pressure of trying to provide for their families at a young age.
