Vice President Kashim Shettima has vacated his seat to allow a teenager, Joy Ogah, to preside over the affairs of the Vice President’s office for one day.
The gesture, seen as a show of mentorship and empowerment for the younger generation, especially the girl-child, reaffirms the Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to promoting girl-child education and gender equality.
The event took place when Shettima received a delegation from PLAN International, led by its Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation, Helen Idiong, on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
During the meeting, Shettima assured stakeholders and development partners of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to advancing girl-child education across the country, noting that the school feeding programme remains a key government intervention.
‘In President Bola Tinubu, you have an ally you can believe in and invest your trust in,’ VP Shettima told the delegation.
He described First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as a symbol of how an empowered and supported girl-child can blossom into a great leader, recalling her active participation in Senate debates on girl-child education.
‘I want to assure you, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that this government is gender-friendly. We believe in inclusivity. We cannot disenfranchise half of our population and expect to grow as a nation,’ he stated.
After his remarks, Shettima handed over his seat to Joy Ogah, giving her the chance to serve as Vice President for a day and address the nation.
From the Vice President’s seat, Miss Ogah called on the government, policymakers, development partners, and citizens to take concrete actions toward improving girl-child education, safeguarding the rights of every girl, and ensuring the provision of free sanitary products, clean water, sanitation, and adequate nutrition in schools.
She lamented that about 10.5 million children in Nigeria are out of school, with girls accounting for more than 60 percent of that figure.
She noted that Nigerian girls have the potential to become leaders if relevant authorities and stakeholders implement the necessary interventions.
‘We must invest in education that is safe and inclusive for every child in Nigeria. When girls are protected, peace becomes possible.
‘I may be the Vice President for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day. They must continue in our policies, our classrooms, our conversations, and our budgets,’ she said.