By Hassan Ibrahim
The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE), Zaria, has organized its first Girls’ Education Summit in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child.
Speaking at the summit, the Director of the Centre, Hajiya Habiba Mohammed, said it was organized to honor the resilience, courage, and potential of girls worldwide.
She said girls often face disproportionate challenges that force them to drop out of school, enter early marriages, or become vulnerable to exploitation.
According to her, the Centre is celebrating girls who refuse to be defined by their circumstances. Instead, they are using their voices, skills, and determination to drive positive change.
Hajiya Habiba emphasized that every girl—no matter where she comes from—deserves the chance to learn, dream, and thrive. She added that the Centre believes that when girls are educated and empowered, they not only rise but also lift others as they rise.
Believing that education is a powerful tool for girls to become agents of change, the Centre has continued to empower girls and young women with knowledge, skills, voice, agency, and confidence to lead their communities toward a brighter future.
Through the Girls’ Education Summit, the Centre celebrates the power and promise of girls and reaffirms their right to education, health, and economic opportunity.
“Let us recognize the critical role girls play in building resilient communities. Let us invest in their education, health, and well-being by creating opportunities for them to participate in decision-making processes and amplify their voices,” she urged.
Today’s summit brought together girls from various projects implemented by the Centre to discuss progress, challenges, and strategies for advancing girls’ education.
They will also advocate for 12 years of free, safe, quality, and compulsory education, as well as the institutionalization of life skills into regular school curricula.
In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Adamu Ahmed, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to promoting access to quality education for girls, describing them as the foundation of every progressive society.
He commended the Centre for Girls’ Education for its dedication to promoting girls’ education in Zaria and across Kaduna State.
Also speaking, the Emir of Zazzau, Malam Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, represented by the District Head of Basawa, Architect Haruna Abubakar Bamalli, reaffirmed the Emirate’s commitment to supporting education.
He commended the organizers and participants for their dedication, describing the summit as a vital step toward building a more enlightened and prosperous society.
Similarly, Honorable Mahmoud Lawal Ismail, Member representing Zaria Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Education at the Kaduna State House of Assembly, praised the Centre for sensitizing and supporting girls to return to school and become self-reliant.
He revealed that the Assembly is working on a bill to provide legal backing for Safe Spaces in Schools, aimed at protecting students from harassment and abuse.
Delivering a goodwill message, the UNFPA Representative, Hajiya Bahijjatu Gakko, described the day as an exceptionally proud moment for all partners supporting adolescent girls.
She highlighted UNFPA’s long-standing partnership with the Centre for Girls’ Education, which began in 2003 with just 200 girls and now reaches over 18,000 across five states through the Adolescent Girls Initiative Program.
The theme of the Summit is: “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crises.”
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