NAWOJ holds conference on plight of girls

The Zone B of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), says it will hold a conference focused on the plight of girls in Nigeria.

Mrs Omobola Akingbehin, Vice President of the association and the Secretary, Mrs Funmi Adekoya, said in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos that the conference would hold at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.

It said that the event, with the theme 'Insecurity: Turning Girls into Endangered Specie’, was to commemorate the International Day to Protect Education Against Attack.

“The conference is a deliberate effort on our part to emphasise the plight of Nigerian girls due to heightening insecurity, with a view to charting the way forward.

“In the next 15 years, girls of today will become mothers.

“How we handle them now will determine how they will be and their capability to contribute to national development.”

The association expressed fears that ” the nation’s future may be impacted negatively by unprepared tomorrow’s mothers.”

“The conference is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, which recommends that women and girls everywhere must have equal rights and opportunities, and be able to live free of violence and discrimination.

“One of the objectives of NAWOJ is to promote women and children’s rights and seek better welfare for them.

“We bring their issues to the front burner with a view to seeking policy change in their favour.

“NAWOJ is also committed to building and developing capacity of women journalists to enable them contribute better to national development.

“NAWOJ seeks partnership with relevant groups, organisations and individuals to support women and children to live a better life.

“The conference is expected to issue a communique that borders on issues in addressing insecurity and ways of empowering the vulnerable.”

It added that Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Johnson Kokumo, will deliver the keynote address while the immediate past Chairman of First Bank, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, will chair the event.

According to the statement, there will be strict observance of COVID-19 safety protocols during the conference on Thursday.