Wife of Ondo state Governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, said the annual summer boot camp for young girls in the state is fast becoming a breeding ground for future leaders and unlocking the potential of young Nigerian girls.
Mrs Akeredolu who stated this during the closing ceremony of the 2023 BEMORE Summer Booth Camp in Akure, the Ondo State capital, expressed the need to use education as a weapon for empowerment, thereby changing the crafted helpless mentality in the girl child early.
According to her, educating the girl child should be a priority in every society that desires to see a change and a developed economy, noting that the initiative has placed the girls in a vantage position and gives them opportunities that most girls do not have around the world.
Akeredolu, however, expressed satisfaction that another batch of leaders has been equipped in the last few weeks of BEMORE Summer Booth Camp, saying the initiative thrives on building capacities as well as building lives.
He said that over the last few years, the initiative has built sturdy bridges across ethnic, religious, and economic boundaries by turning lives around and enlarging its empire of female champions yearly.
She said, “Over the years, we have built incredible talents in solar technology ICT and nurtured a culture of entrepreneurial adventure. And as we build, we give them out as bricks for building a virile, fair, and gender-balanced society
Having built over three thousand vibrant young women who are making waves on different fronts around the world, it is only ideal for building for these geniuses a place they all can call home, a befitting edifice where the generations of Bemore girls would freely meet, interact and make things happen.
She called on well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to support the initiative as it embarks on a project to build a befitting edifice for the training and building of girl-child.
“I, therefore, call on you, my friends, associates, and political enthusiasts, to join hands with me in erecting enduring halls, hostels, etc, that would stand as memorabilia in your honour when we have all gone to donate structures in your names that would remind the world into the far future of what roles you played in the struggle for the emancipation of the girl child in this nation and the continent even when we are no longer here.
This is the clarion call we all need to heed to help the girl children soar above primordial limitations, to restore abundant pride to the female folk, to give girls a renewed sense of self and a worthier future, and to build a gender-fair country that we all can be proud of.
She charged the girls to keep their heads high, restating the beauty of being women on their own terms and deploying their skills to live above board and help humanity.
Speaking, the Acting Governor of the state, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, while giving his remarks at the event, commended Mrs Akeredolu for the initiative, urging the girls to use the knowledge acquired during the two weeks of training to make a difference in the world.
Ayedatiwa said, “The transformation has not only fortified you to aim higher, you are also sufficiently empowered to own your future. We rejoice with you over this huge turning point in your lives; your voice must be heard louder, and you must go out to represent your gender creditably in all facets of life.
What you have been offered here is a world-class opportunity that can stand you side by side with your contemporaries across the globe. Never again must you succumb to gender discrimination, religious/cultural biases, inferiority complex, and other forms of gender stereotypes.
This intensive training must be nurturing to your willpower to put into practice all that you have learnt and gained during this period.”
The Chairman of Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board, Rt Hon Victor Olabintan, applauded Mrs. Akeredolu for coming up with the initiative and for sustaining the vision over the years.
He restated the significance of the program to the development of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Entrepreneurship (STEM+E) amongst girls, most especially in the state.
In her welcome address, Miss Oladimeji Folasewa, on behalf of other girls, appreciated the platform, stressing that it has opened doors of opportunities for them to prepare to contribute their own quota to the development of not just the state but Nigeria, most especially in the area of STEM+E
In attendance at the event include the SSA on Health to Mr. Governor, Hon. Dayo Faduyile, SSA on Gender, Hon Olamide Falana, former State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Mrs. Titi Adeyemi, members of FOWOSO among others.
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