Stories by Stanley Onyekwere
To accelerate social media awareness and digital capacity for children especially the girl-child, some stakeholders converged at the weekend in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where they offered talks on social media spaces to girls from across the communities within the FCT.
At the event tagged: Girls Together Summit Abuja, with discussion topic: “Challenges and Opportunities of the Girl Child in a Digital Age”, organised by the Helpline Social Support Initiative, in collaboration with Office of the Mandate Secretary, FCTA Women Affairs Secretariat, and Hasam Foundation, the stakeholders interacted with the young participants on how to develop digital capacity and eschew becoming preys to social media.
In her keynote address, Mandate Secretary, FCTA Women Secretariat, Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the Summit an intervention, and not just an advocacy, as it fosters real-time conducive digital education for the girl-child.
She said: “It is a leveler for any girl child digitally and globally to able to access as well as articulate her unique collar drums through digital education, intervention and investment of the political-will of an administration in her educationally and in every ramification of her creative expression and identity.
“ This is what the FCT administrative model that the Women Affairs Secretary has designed and defined for the girl child in this time.
“The cardinal message is that the building digital capacity is a priority, and we are leaving no girl child behind. Whether she is from the place of advantage or disadvantage somewhere from across the 784 communities or geographical reference within the FCT.
“Digital skills set are in critical priority as they close the gap, and we are particular about setting accelerators through the different digital stimuli that the ICT programmes, scholarship programmes, and working through the schools ; all of these different interventions are to create a very agile environment for equal opportunity for both the girl child and the boy child.”
Also speaking, President, Helpline Social Support Initiative, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, who expressed concerned over the addiction of the girls to social media, said it is one of the huge challenges that they having now, as it deprives them reading when they are supposed to do so and even deprives of carrying out their household chores.
This, according to her explains why they were brought out girls to converge at the summit, so as to interact amd hear from more experience women that have passed through the stage they are at in life, so as to avoid becoming a prey to social media.
“ We know what the social media is used for these days, we have people using our girls for child pornography and so many other ill vices.
“So, this sumit is aimed at ensuring that these girls are prepared, empowered and adequately equipped to be able to know what they need to do and what they should look out for whenever they are in the social media spaces. This is because, they learn online, and we have classes online for them to go and learn.
“So when they are there (social media) they are supposed to know what they are to do, and at the same time, those who are into entrepreneurship will be able to know what to do, to advance their businesses online”, Ahmadu stated.
On her part, Hajya Hauwa Ibrahim Adamu, wife of Ona of Abaji, who noted that the summit was long overdue, stresses the need for the girl-child to be more careful when venturing into the digital space, as its disadvantages are very rampant.
Hajya Adamu, who is the Chairperson, Association of Wives of FCT traditional Rulers, decried that incidentally in FCT, most of girls are living where the poverty level is very high, the educational level is very low and early marriages are still going on.
According to her, to reverse the trend, the Federal Government needs to come out with some policies; while FCT representatives in House (National Assembly) should stand up on their feet, and make sure that such policies are being enacted.
She adds: “We should encourage parents to allow their girls access to school, and reduce early marriage practice.”
Most of the participants who expressed excitement for the programme, said they now have better understanding of what the digital age and space all about as well as how to better their lives with it.
They added also that from their participation in the summit, they have been empowered to deal with dangers or disadvantages on the social media spaces, and to explore its advantageous opportunities and development digital skill sets that would enable them contribute meaningfully to the society.
Other speakers at the summit include; Aisha Abdullahi Adamu, Founder, Aisha Cares Initiative and Director Child’s Rights Foundation, Praise Sam, Speaker,
Helpline Voice of the Girls Parliament, Hauwa Abbas, Founder/CEO Silver Lining for the Needy Initiative, Lois Auta
Founder, ElectHer, Network of Women with Disabilities, and Olajumoke Adeniyi, Head of Operations, Haram Foundation.
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