Vice President Kashim Shettima momentarily vacated his seat to allow a teenager, Joy Ogah, to symbolically hold office for one day, an action described as a demonstration of mentorship for the younger generation, particularly the girl-child.
This gesture took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday during a meeting where the Vice President hosted a delegation from PLAN International, led by its Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation, Helen Idiong.
The event was framed as a reaffirmation of the Tinubu-led government’s commitment to advancing girl-child education and gender equality.
During the meeting, the Vice President assured stakeholders and development partners of President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to promoting girl-child education nationwide, highlighting the school feeding programme as a crucial government intervention.
VP Shettima told the delegation, “In President Bola Tinubu, you have an ally you can believe in and invest your trust in.”
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He also held up First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu as a prime example of how a properly empowered and supported girl-child can blossom into a great leader, recalling her active contribution to Senate debates on girl-child education.
VP Shettima declared, “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.”
Following his remarks, the Vice President invited Miss Ogah to take over his seat to address the nation, which she accepted.
Speaking from the Vice President’s position, Miss Ogah urged the government, policymakers, partners, and citizens to take strategic action to advance girl-child education, protect girls’ rights, ensure access to water, sanitation, and nutrition, and provide free sanitary products in schools.
Expressing concern, she noted that across Nigeria, “10.5 million children are out of school, with over 60 percent of them being girls.”
She stressed that Nigerian girls have the potential to become leaders if the necessary interventions are implemented.
Miss Ogah concluded with a powerful call to action: “We must invest in education that is safe and inclusive for every child in Nigeria. When girls are protected, peace becomes possible.”
She acknowledged the limited timeframe of her role, stating, “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.”
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