Determined to empower female students across selected schools in Lagos state, Laterna Ventures Limited, leading book sales and Distribution Company has partnered with Ladies Helpline Initiative, (LHI) to host the Young Girls Summit 2019.
The event is part of programme designed in commemoration of the international day of the girl child which is observed annually be the United Nations.
Robert Lawson, assistant general manager, Laterna Ventures Limited while speaking during the Young Girls Summit 2019 in Lagos, said “This is a day set aside by the United Nations to highlight the needs and challenges faced by the girl child and to call attention of the need to empower the girl child to allow them to aspire to equal right in the society.
“The girl child can be powerful agents of change within her family and so enough of all those prejudices and abuses that they have been subjected to. We thank God for some advocacy groups that have come up, one of which is the LHI.
“This year we are partnering with LHI to celebrate this day and we are focusing this year on ‘Harnessing the Winning Creativity of the Girl Child.’ The girl child has talents and skills, so she has the right to express them positively. She has a right to express her voice. She should not be seen subjected to the kind of abuses that we have witnessed in our society, even in our tertiary institutions,” Lawson said.
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He mentioned that some of the activities to mark the event are tour of the facility; girls talk and question time; and panel session of female authors who will share their real-life experiences.
Lawson stated that there is also emphasis on inculcating the habit of reading, adding that rather than using the cell phones for questionable things, this same tool can be channelled to much more positive uses.
Also speaking at the event, Nnaji Ugbaja, head of corporate affairs unit, Laterna Ventures Limited said the selection of the schools that participated in the event was a mix of private and public schools.
“Generally, schools don’t like their students to travel to far distance. So, we decided to use schools within this vicinity. The public schools have to get authorisation from the local education district before they are permitted to come. Altogether, we invited five schools. We have over 40 students participating.
“This year, we decided to partner with LHI, which is at the forefront of promoting issues surrounding the girl child. The convener of the event Izehi Hannah Agunkejoye is an author who has a book which we sell at Laterna and we decided to work with her,” Ugbaja said.
He assured that Laterna Ventures will be doing much more than this in the future.
