The President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan posited Thursday in Abuja that educating the girl child is far better than empowering women as education is the best form of empowerment in life .
This is as Top Faith International Secondary School, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom State, won the 7th Edition of annual Quiz competition among Secondary Schools across the six geo – political zones organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS) .
Lawan who called for education of the girl child at the Quiz Competition held at the Senate Wing of the National Assembly , said the best form of empowerment for women is educating the girl child .
An educated girl child he added , will hardly be vulnerable at the stage of womanhood for the type of women empowerment programmes being carried out in the country today at various levels .
” If you want to empower women, you don’t do that only through organising city women and say they must have this and that, go back to the basis by giving the girl child quality education.
“They don’t have to beg anybody to get there once they are educated, they don’t have to beg anybody saying give us this percentage or that of whatever position .
” Education of the girl child is very important for any society or country that want to be genuinely developed and I’m very happy that girls are well represented among the competing schools here today .
” Combination of competitors from the seven schools across the six geo – political zones and the Federal Capital Territory for the final stage of the NILDS Quiz Competition today , symbolises a New Nigeria where both men and women can make their contributions for national development.
” NILDS should partner with relevant agencies for internalising content of this competition into the National curriculum on the template of Civic Education or any other relevant subject “, he said .
The Director General of National Broadcasting Commission ( NBC) , Balarabe Shehu Ilelah in his remarks , said the content of the annual national quiz competition of NILDS which dwells on practice of democracy and in particular , the role of the legislature , should be amplified further through television programmes for children.
The NBC boss who was represented by Mrs Clementine Usman Wamba , an Assistant Director in the agency , said thematic channels for packaging of such programmes are available .
” What NILDS is doing and aiming to achieve with the annual National Quiz Competition among senior secondary schools across the country on practice of democracy, should not stop at the various venues but transformed them into content that can be aired on television through any of the thematic channels “, she said .
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director – General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman said the Nigerian Legislature is no doubt one of the most misunderstood arm of government , narrative of which is being changed with the instrumentality of the quiz competition.
“To this effect, NILDS is further encouraged to collaborate with research institutes and relevant agencies of government to develop curriculum on Legislative and Democratic studies for inclusion in the civic Education, Social Studies, Government and other curricular for basic as well as Senior Secondary Education to enrich their contents and bridge the knowledge gaps in the legislature”, he said .
Students from Model Secondary School, Akure, Ondo State, came second in the competition while those from Global kids Academy, Sokoto, Sokoto State, came third .
