Senior secondary school girls in Ibadan, Oyo State, have lent their voices to the challenges confronting their education and recommended ways that education stakeholders and the government can address them.
The recommendations were made on Thursday in Ibadan during the third edition of the Oyo Schoolgirls General Assembly, an initiative of the Mentoring Assistance for Youths and Entrepreneurs Initiative (MAYEIN) through its flagship Girls in Education Dialogues (GED) project.
The event gathered over 300 participants, including schoolgirl delegates, educators, policymakers, and development partners.
Ewaoluwa Orowale, Executive Director of MAYEIN, described this year’s theme, ‘The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead,’ as a declaration of power and a reminder that leadership is not about age or position, but about courage, purpose, and making a difference.
She noted that since the GED programme was launched in 2022, over 200 schoolgirls across Oyo State have been trained and empowered to speak confidently about the issues that affect their learning and wellbeing.
Orowale added that through past assemblies, they have seen progress in schools towards improving the lives and studies of girls, and that each change is a step towards a more inclusive and gender-transformative education system for students and schools.
The keynote speaker and Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) of Lead City University, Professor Omolara Campbell, encouraged the girls to embrace both their strengths and their imperfections as part of their growth journey and to see themselves as forces of change, capable of leadership and influence.
Professor Campbell further told the girls that the time for action is now, and they should act and lead with confidence and responsibility while celebrating their strengths and weaknesses.
At the start of the General Assembly, Justice Adenike Adeeyo, representing the Chief Judge of Oyo State, delivered the plenary address, emphasising that girls are not just beneficiaries of change but also drivers of it, adding that in any transformation endeavor, the voices and leadership of girls are indispensable.
Presiding over the plenary session, Olori Oriekun, the Alternate Chair, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Women’s Forum, and an advocate for gender equity, echoed this sentiment, urging the girls to believe in their limitless potential, adding, ‘You are the change, so let us work together.’
During the plenary session, ten delegates representing their schools presented pressing issues affecting girls’ education and well-being across Oyo State secondary schools.
Their submissions covered a range of challenges, including but not limited to: the lack of qualified teachers and counsellors, lack of WASH and sanitary facilities, inadequate library and ICT facilities, dilapidated classroom and office blocks, lack of security and safety nets for students and staff, insufficient extracurricular and sporting activities, among others.
In the expert panel session moderated by the founder of MAYEIN, Edem Ossai, panelists, including Hon. Abiodun Babalola, Member, Oyo State House of Assembly representing Ibadan North-East constituency; Dr Helen Chatburn-Ojehomon, Dr Anthony Oyedeji, and Chief Solomon Adewole, discussed how the girls’ recommendations could be translated into actionable policies for stakeholders in the education sector.
They emphasised that empowering both boys and girls is essential for sustainable progress, calling for stronger collaboration between civil society organizations (CSOs), schools, and government agencies to make education safer, inclusive, and responsive to students’ realities.
The Oyo Schoolgirls Assembly remains a platform where young voices shape meaningful conversations on gender equity, leadership, and education reform.
With the GED project, MAYEIN is ensuring that girls are not just seen, but heard, respected, and included in the decisions that shape their future.