Mr. Saka Adebayo-Ibrahim, the UNICEF Education Officer, Katsina office made the call on Friday at a sensitisation workshop organised for 100 youths in Kano.

According to Adebayo-Ibrahim, the girl-child need special treatment not only in schools, but anywhere they found themselves.

He said that if government provide most of the essential needs of female students, it would increase enrolment and retention of the girl-child in primary and secondary schools.

On the workshop, he said it was “aimed at mobilising the youths to know their rights on government, especially in the area of providing them with free primary and secondary education and providing qualified teachers, especially in the rural areas.

“And also providing all learning materials in the schools and other relevant materials that can ease their leaning processes.”

He said the aim of the workshop was also to guide the youths on ways to approach political office holders on the need to fulfil their campaign promises.

According to him, despite series of campaign promises by politicians, especially on education, the sector is still moving backward in the north east and north west part of the country.

In her speech, the Director, Social Mobilisation, Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hajiya Amina Umar said the youths advocacy was part of activities to mark the African Child, held on June 16, every year.

According to her, the number of out-of-school children in the north, especially in Kano State is worrisome and need serious attention from all angles.

Also in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), one of the participants, Niimatullah Bala, said the workshop will assist the youths to monitor the fulfilment of campaign promises made by political office holders, especially on education.

NAN reports that the workshop was organised by  UNICEF, Kano SUBEB and other supporting organizations. (