The Vice-Chancellor, University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, has called on the stakeholders to ensure women have quality education for the development of the country.
The don noted that the women who had access to quality education were better equipped to make informed decisions about their lives, pursue meaningful careers, and contribute actively to their communities.
She stated this in a keynote address at the annual public lecture of the Precision Online Newspaper, held in Akure on Sunday. The lecture was themed, ‘Promoting women’s rights to quality education and healthcare.’
According to the FUTA boss, a well-educated woman would be able to challenge societal norms, break gender stereotypes, and participate in the socio-economic and political spheres.
She added that such a woman would be able to invest in the education of their children, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and ignorance.
Oladiji said, “Promoting women’s rights to quality education and healthcare is not only a matter of justice but a prerequisite for sustainable development and societal progress.
“The synergistic relationship between education and healthcare forms the foundation for women’s empowerment thereby enabling them to lead healthy, fulfilled lives and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
“By addressing the challenges in these spheres, societies can unlock the full potential of their population, fostering a more equitable and prosperous world for everyone.”
In his remarks, publisher, Precision Online Newspaper, Mr Hakeem Adebumiti, stressed the importance of women’s education and empowerment. He said the online newspaper would not relent in this regard.
He said, “I stand before you today to reinforce the need for us as stakeholders, educators, leaders of thoughts, religious leaders to champion the cause to empower our women. It is our belief at Precision Online Newspaper, that for us to get the best out of our society, we must empower the girl child and by extension our women.
“There are a thousand reasons for us to be worried. The out-of-school children population in the world, out of which Nigeria shares a substantial figure, stood at 20m as of September 2022. It is easy to conclude that the 20 million figure announced by UNESCO then would be mostly girls. This alone should create fear in our minds.”
