SULTAN OF SOKOTO’S SPEECH IN THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR AFRICAN TRADITIONAL & RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL IN AFRICA
African governments and international development partners have been working for decades to improve women’s and children’s health and alleviate suffering caused by pregnancy and/or childbirth. While progress has been made, the rate is abysmally low, and nowhere near that of other parts of the world. According to studies, children’s health improves significantly when their mother is educated
The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III with The Kabaka of Bugundu (Uganda), His Highness Ronald Edward Frederick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II, chaired the Conference of Keeping Girls in School Conference held on 19th-20th January 2019 in Abuja.
The Sultan of Sokoto in his opening remark lamented that the socio-economic backwardness and technological underdevelopment of many African countries are due to the poor enrolment rate of female children and under-age girls into schools.
To accelerate progress and development of the African continent, he stressed that, “Both traditional and religious leaders in our African continent must actively participate in designing, developing and implementing cardinal programmes aimed at empowering our young girls, women and vulnerable mothers”. His Eminence pointed out that “maternal and child mortality, poverty, economic stagnation, social upheavals, teenage pregnancy, and political instability, among hosts of problems bedevilling developing countries, are due to government and stakeholders’ negligence in promoting girl education.
His Eminence pointed out that “maternal and child mortality, poverty, economic stagnation, social upheavals, teenage pregnancy, and political instability, among hosts of problems bedevilling developing countries, are due to government and stakeholders’ negligence in promoting girl education. He expressed optimism that the recommendations of erudite speakers, religious scholars and gender experts if aggressively implemented after the conference, will significantly help curtail the spate of illiteracy and gender discrimination against women while also fast-tracking socio-economic growth for the continent.
