By Nefishetu Yakubu
Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, Abuja, Monday emerged total winner of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS-European Union (EU) inter-secondary faculty debate.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) stories that the talk, held at NILDS Headquarters, Abuja was organised to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
Four faculties competed within the grand finale on the subject entitled, Empowering the lady little one is more practical than punishing offenders in ending little one marriage.
They included Government Day Secondary School, Dutse Alhaji , Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, Baptist High School, Kubwa, and Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali.
Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, which argued for punishing offenders, received with 89 per cent and acquired N1 million, whereas Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, got here second with 76 per cent and acquired N500,000.
Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali, got here third and acquired N250,000, whereas Baptist High School, Kubwa, got here fourth and acquired N100,000.
Speaking shortly after the talk, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman known as on governments in any respect ranges to speculate extra in public faculties.
Sulaiman recommended the scholars for demonstrating intelligence, confidence and robust argumentative expertise, including that the competitors had revealed their mental skills and potential.
“The impressive performances of these students shows that public schools are capable of producing outstanding students despite challenges associated with inadequate investment in education.
“The children of the less privileged are gifted, and what we tend to assume is not always the reality,” he mentioned.
He mentioned public faculty college students had additionally carried out impressively in NILDS quiz competitions organised over the previous 11 years.
The director-general expressed optimism about the way forward for public schooling, urging authorities to maintain investments that might allow college students to develop their mental skills.
He additionally highlighted the significance of empowering women by way of schooling, saying that the longer term depended considerably on offering girls and women with alternatives to understand their potential.
Sulaiman known as on authorities establishments, personal organisations, improvement companions and the media to help initiatives that promoted women’ schooling and guarded their rights.
He urged the media to publicise the achievements of feminine college students and help advocacy efforts geared toward advancing gender equality and eliminating dangerous practices.
The NILDS director-general mentioned the institute had supported legislative and coverage initiatives that addressed feminine genital mutilation, gender-based violence and early marriage.
He defined that NILDS was collaborating with UN Women, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and improvement companions to advance the safety of women’ rights.
According to him, the institute’s programmes are additionally serving to to create consciousness about insurance policies and legislative measures designed to enhance the welfare of women.
On his half, the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb. Gautier Mignot mentioned the competitors promoted gender equality, confidence and management expertise amongst younger women.
Mignot famous that about 129 million women worldwide remained out of college, including that early and compelled marriage affected roughly 12 million women yearly.
He mentioned that following the United Nations’ evaluation, ending little one marriage might take 300 years at present charges, urging focused investments to deal with structural inequalities.
Mignot mentioned the EU’s Gender Action Plan III promoted equality by way of worldwide partnerships, with a minimum of 85 per cent of EU-funded initiatives anticipated to include gender concerns.
He mentioned the EU supported initiatives addressing gender-based violence, adolescent reproductive well being and women’ schooling, stressing that gender equality was important for societal improvement.
The envoy described the talk as a chance to strengthen advocacy, confidence and management amongst younger folks, significantly women searching for equal alternatives in society.
He disclosed that the successful group would go to the EU Delegation to find out about its actions.
Meanwhile, Grace Onuoha, the lead speaker of Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, which received the talk, expressed delight over the varsity’s efficiency.
She pledged to sensitise her classmates and buddies in regards to the risks of kid marriage and encourage women to talk out towards abuses.
(NAN)
NY/KOO
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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa
