The Kano State government’s fight to improve girl child education in the state got a boost on Wednesday when members of a Non-Government Organisation (NGO), TORQ Foundation, visited one of its all girls’ secondary schools with education materials targeted at making learning less stressful and fun.
The school, Government Girls Secondary School (GGSC), Dawanu, Kano, is facing some of the most serious challenges confronting secondary education in northwest Nigeria and Kano in particular, and these donations are seen not just as a significant step to driving the quality of education in the state but to encourage girl child education in a state regarded as educationally disadvantaged.
According to the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), everyone agrees that educating girls is crucial. Some think it’s important for religious and moral reasons, while others believe it helps change behaviour and brings economic and social benefits. Parents understand that girls should go to school just like boys, no matter their culture or religion.
TORQ Foundation sees these generous donations as not only a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but a significant stride in bolstering education within a state that has faced challenges in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals for this decade.
Apparently, more than 700 schools have been shut down since Islamic insurgency activities went up in the northwestern region of the country, with a lot of children, especially young girls, withdrawing from school.
Hajia Sadia, the principal of GGSC, Dawano, expressed gratitude, explaining the vital role of partnerships between government and private entities in fostering educational advancement.
She remarked, “Initiatives such as this are very important to the development of education in the state. Government and private partnerships are key to delivering quality education. And guess who gets to be better off from such a partnership? The nation.”
During his address, Alhassan, the Vice-Principal (Academics), underscored the broader impact of the donation, stressing that the new facilities would foster increased student participation.
“With this development in the school, more students will be encouraged to be present at school. That is why the school management and community are really happy about this donation from the TORQ Foundation,” he remarked.
Abiola Oladiji, the Marketing Coordinator for TORQ Commodities in West Africa, reinforced this perspective, stressing that, “For us, this initiative is quite important. Aside from the fact that it shows our commitment to the communities where we trade, it also shows our commitment to the United Nations’ sustainable development goal (SDG) in education for inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all, irrespective of their location.”
