Copyright tribuneonlineng
The Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Anambra State chapter, has called on various stakeholders, including the government, schools, religious bodies, non-governmental organisations, and homes, to be intentional in creating a conducive and enabling environment that fosters the total development of the girl child. The State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Comrade Tochukwu Ifejirika, made the call while addressing over 1,000 secondary school girls at the Godwin Ezeemo International Press Center in Awka on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, to commemorate this year’s International Day of the Girl Child. Ifejirika said the stakeholders’ active involvement in girl child development, will serve as an encouragement for them to be able to lead the change needed not just in Anambra State but the World over. According to her, International Day of the Girl Child is a day set aside every 11th October by the United Nations to celebrate every girl child on the face of the earth, to highlight and proffer solutions to factors mitigating her total development and wellness. We at NAWOJ in Anambra, are celebrating every girl child today with the theme, “The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontline of crisis” This theme highlights the resilience, leadership, and advocacy of girls in challenging situations, emphasizing their role in creating positive change, especially during crises. *As a women’s group, whose mission aligns with today’s celebration, we salute every girl child for the girl or woman they have become in the face of uncertainties, hardship, and crises. We identify with every girl who is making womanhood proud in their various endeavors and we encourage every girl who feels overwhelmed with, facing challenges, untold hardship, difficulties, and crises, to look inwards and invoke the resilient spirit that is inherent in every girl to guide them through the right path towards withstanding all these factors mitigating her total development and wellness. “We urged our girls, to be bold, courageous, and not to allow any form of challenges to take away the resilient spirit in you or deter you from aiming high, to have your voice count for the change you want to lead, Ifejirika advocated. In her keynote address, the Anambra State Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Beverly Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche, described the girl child as a potential leader, nation builder, and voice capable of shaping the destiny of her generation. She emphasized the need for all-round grooming academically, morally, physically, and emotionally urging girls to overcome challenges such as gender bias, early marriage, abuse, and negative social media influences. The commissioner lamented that mobile phones and online distractions have diverted many girls from their studies and ambitions. She disclosed that the government has established systems to protect the girl child from sexual violence and hinted at plans to create a dedicated counseling clinic for young girls to seek help without stigma. “When parents groom their daughters well, they are raising future leaders. Every girl must walk tall, dream boldly, and remember that the world needs her light,” she said. On her part, the Chairman of Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSC), Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, speaking on “Career Guide for a Promising Future for Young Girls,” said education remains the most powerful weapon for empowerment and equality. She urged girls to aspire to higher education, cautioning against examination malpractice, cultism, and the lure of quick money. “No girl should go into marriage without a degree,” she stressed. “Education and skills are the licenses that will take you far in life.” Prof. Ikediugwu commended Governor Charles Soludo for his commitment to education, youth empowerment, and moral development, describing his policies as instrumental to building confident and productive young women. Also speaking, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of Paul University, Awka, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna, lamented cultural practices that still limit women’s opportunities. She encouraged the girls to build self-esteem and believe in their potential as they were nation builders emphasizing that they must be proud of who they are and never let society make them feel inferior. Other speakers at the event included the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Anambra Council, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, and the Founder of Kaycoune Success Empowerment Initiative spoke on the themes of resilience, self-worth, and leadership. Some participating students including Bosah Chioma (Community Secondary School, Umuokpu Awka), Ucheji Marvelous (Union Secondary School, Amawbia), Okafor Juliet (Community Secondary School, Okpuno), and Chikelu Christabel (Gold Seal International College) all expressed gratitude to NAWOJ for inspiring them to become agents of change. They described the event as life-changing and pledged to share what they learned with their peers in schools.
