As we commemorate International Women’s Day with the theme “Equal rights, Equal opportunities; Progress for all”, we must bring to the forefront the challenges surrounding education of the girl-child, which remains a vital component for development in our society. 

Imagine your life today without an education. Imagine you in a world where you don’t have the right to go to school, not even a choice to consider education. What you see is the experience of so many females living in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern region, in which lies Jega Local Government. A lot of girls in this region didn’t have the right to choose education until the Local government chairman in Kebbi State enacted a bye-law, making female education compulsory. Isn’t that great news? After so many years of living in ignorance! 

Reports show that in a school of 150 students, only 2-3 are girls. ActionAID International (AAIN) discovered in their research that there was gap in favor of boys in school enrollment, retention and completion in these states. "The study on girls’ education revealed factors affecting girls’ education as cost of education, school environment, government policies and the culture of the people amongst others. There are no policies that specifically address gender issues thereby leaving room for the gender gap."

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The Youth Advocates Group in Nigeria had her first Campus organizing activity at the University of Abuja and it was a success. The theme of the event was on Stigmatization and there were over 250 students present. It was particularly interesting because Stigma and discrimination has been a major challenge for young people who are HIV positive and seeking an admission into the University. Quite a number of students have been denied admission based on their HIV status. So is the story of Gloria whom I met sometime late last year. She has been HIV positive for the past 9 years through unscreened blood transfusion and has faced all types of stigmatization; the worst I consider, is from her own mother, even till date. As the students watched a short footage on Gloria’s story and the challenges she grew up with, they couldn’t help but make comments and ask questions. It was interesting to know that some of them could feel her pain even though they hadn’t been in her shoes.

As I held the microphone to further explain Gloria’s story, to help them understand what stigmatization really is and how much damage it can do; I asked, Should Stigmatization be justified? Should anyone be treated differently because of their HIV status? Should students be denied admission into the University because they tested positive to HIV? In fact, what has that got to do with academic performance? What reason does a mother have to stigmatize her own very offspring?

Almost everyone agreed stigma is wrong and that it has no justification in all ramifications. However, there was this very student who said stigma can be justified and I asked how? He said that, denying a student of admission into the University for instance is for the benefit of other students. That because young people in the University engage in sexual activities, the HIV positive students can easily infect others. Just as I was about to respond to that, another student responded to that comment by explaining clearly, how that has nothing to do with denying someone a chance for a bright future, an education and liberty to express one’s self. Every other student supported as they cheered and clapped for her.

The Youth Advocates Group later informed the student about the Anti-Stigmatization bill currently at the National Assembly waiting to be passed into law and how important it is for them as young people to support that by putting down their signature on a sign on letter that will be taking to the House Committee on HIV/AIDS. The responses we got were amazing.

In all, they left with an experience. The experience of making their voice count and understanding that Stigmatization isn’t a choice, not even an option.

As a peer educator or someone working on SRH issues, have you ever thought about what you would do if you were told you have AIDS? Or you were told someone very close to you got infected somehow, will you blame yourself? Will you live in denial of the reality of your new found status? And for that person close to you, will you show them all the love and care? Will you? All these questions bring me to the story of a young lady that I know. She was actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness and campaign. She was a trained peer educator who trained over 2,000 youth and tested people for HIV/AIDS. She was also a counselor on the hotline, educating people on Sexual Reproductive Health issues and stuff.

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A large percentage of young people in Nigeria attend Federal and State schools, some don’t even go to school and very few attend private universities. Right now the Academic Staff University Union (ASUU) has an issue with the Federal Government and has closed down all universities in Nigeria because government won’t accede to their request. ASUU wants a 100% increment in salaries and other entitlement. For this reason, young people are forced out of school because there is an issue with ASUU and the Federal Government.

 Nigerian students yearn for good education. We yearn to go back to school and stop being a nuisance at home and in the society. We yearn to go back to school because an idle mind is the devils workshop. We don’t want to be tempted to go into drugs, violence, and sexual immorality. We yearn to go back to school because there is a huge future ahead of us waiting for us to happen.  We want Education.

The sad thing is that a number of these government officials without calling names don’t put their children in Nigerian Universities. Its humiliating for young people to look up to the so called leaders  who can effect a change in their situation do nothing because they are not affected in any way, after all their kids are schooling abroad. Another trend in the political scene is that, some of these government officials put their kids in power or even make their kids replace them and family relatives such that the seat of power now becomes a family affair.

The future of young people in Nigeria is in serious jeopardy and if nobody does something, Nigeria will raise worse leaders than it has now. The social organization will become a breed of ignoramus and riffraff’s. In fact, as it is now the rate of social problems occurring currently in Nigeria has young people as the largest victims. Teenage Pregnancy for instance is increasing daily and I wonder, what happens to the children these teenagers give birth to, what kind of training will they get, what kind of life will they live. If young people are having adult issues, what will they do when they become adults? Our government is not aware that such things as strike even worsen the situation.

Sexual Reproductive Health issues that young people face in Nigeria and even globally is as a result of inadequate education to a very large extent. For example, research shows that lack of education, illiteracy or ignorance has been proven to be a cause for an increase in young people’s sexual reproductive health challenges e.g. STI’s, unwanted pregnancy, abortions and so on. Imagine the rate of young people that could be exposed as a result of idleness, caused by this strike.

Education is one of the most important aspect of a young person’s life which they shouldn’t be deprived of. I am a youth and I know what it feels like not to have adequate education and I don’t just speak for myself but for every young person out there who is affected by the strike.

The Nigerian government is being supported by various International donors and NGO’s to curb various issues that young people face in our country but it seems to me that the government has not prioritized education as a primary need thereby not putting arsenals in place to make the educational system run effectively. Also the abuse of power and resources is creating problems through issues like strike and corruption.   Education cuts across all aspect of a young person’s life especially in the area of their sexual and reproductive health but nobody cares. We have good policies, frame work and resources but the reality of all these things seems to elude our leaders.

I consider myself privileged to an extent when I think about young people in prison, on the streets, at home and in Diaspora. Oh great Nigeria! Protect your future, protect the younger generation.

Have you ever heard of the 3R's? It's an acronym for Rights, Respect and Responsibility. It's a global thing and should be a local thing. Young people at different levels both local and international are standing up to their responsibilities. They are reaching out to other young people and letting their government know they are initiators of global change, letting their government know that they are part of nation building, letting them know that they have a right and their government is responsible to them. It's a global thing!

Talk is cheap but we've gone beyond that! We already are making waves. We've had several meetings with Policy makers at the International level to make our voices heard, not only to get their commitments but also to share our own experiences. We could have been in the comfort of our homes watching Hollywood channel but we understand what is at stake; the future is.

It's Time for you and I to arise and amplify our voices in the matters affecting young people. Being a Youth is good but I like to be identified as a leader because; the fact that I'm taking responsibility makes me stands out. Youthfulness is a mentality of delayed responsibility and that's why we need to take responsibility; only leaders take responsibility.

Imagine what changes you could influence in your world if you will open your eyes to the needs of young people around you and do something about their challenges. Say something, give something, do something. You might think you are not infected or you are not a victim but the truth is you are at risk. In a nut shell, the world needs you. The world needs you to reach out and impact the world around you. Let's stand and fight for our rights.

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Me: Is it ok if we talk about sex and contraceptives

She: Bring it on! (Smiles)

Me: What do you know about contraceptives?

She: It’s used during sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy

Me: Ok! That’s one of it. But really how effective do you think it is?

She: Very effective just that there are side effects.

Me: Like?

She: Irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain, may lead to infertility

Me: Are you serious?

She: Yeah!

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(the following is from Kiki, one of our youth activists in Nigeria)

Gender discrimination, an ill that still festers in various recesses of our society. Even today we find that every woman has and is still suffering one form of gender discrimination or the other. This is an interview of a young lady who has suffered this in no small way. Her name and certain other facts have been withheld for obvious reasons.

Question: Could you please say where you are from?

Answer: I am from Bida, in Minna, Niger state. I am 19 years old.

Question: Tell us a bit about your family background?

Answer: My father had two wives who didn’t produce sons for him so he married my mum as his third wife. After my elder sister, myself and my younger sister, my mum gave birth to a boy.

Question: Why did your father insist on having a boy?

Answer: From where I come from it is viewed as a sign of weakness if a man had no sons so my dad had to have a son at all cost. In the village we stay in huts which are in compounds.

Each man would have a compound and he and each of his wives would stay in separate huts within the compound.

Question: So when did you start school and what happened?

Answer: I started school early, I don’t really remember when. What I do remember is that when I was about 4 years old my father came to the school I was attending with a cane and beat me terribly. I remember that I had not done anything wrong and even my mother didn’t know that he did that. My dad felt it was “useless” to educate female children.

Question: So you left school?

Answer: No I continued. He repeated the beatings 3 other times. When he did it the last time he insisted that my name be removed from the registers, exercise books and so on.

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