A powerful moment of inspiration unfolded at the Presidential Villa on Monday as 17-year-old Joy Ogah assumed the seat of the Vice President for a day — a symbolic gesture highlighting the Tinubu administration’s commitment to empowering the girl-child and promoting gender inclusivity in leadership.
The initiative, facilitated by PLAN International, formed part of this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child celebrations.
Vice President Kashim Shettima reassured development partners and stakeholders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dedication to advancing girl-child education across Nigeria. According to Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Shettima highlighted the school feeding programme as a key government intervention supporting children’s development.
During a meeting with a PLAN International delegation led by Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation Helen Mfonobong Idiong, Shettima invited Joy Ogah to the Vice President’s seat to address the nation.
“Well-nourished children are well-formed,” Shettima said, noting the importance of strategic government interventions in education. “In President Bola Tinubu, you have an ally you can trust and invest in. Our administration is passionate and deeply committed to advancing girl-child education.”
The Vice President also praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as a role model, noting her contributions to debates on girl-child education during her tenure in the Senate.
From the Vice President’s chair, Ogah delivered a stirring message, calling attention to the 10.5 million children currently out of school in Nigeria — over 60 percent of whom are girls. She stressed that Nigerian girls can rise as leaders if relevant interventions are implemented by authorities and stakeholders.
Ogah urged the government, policymakers, development partners, and citizens to invest in safe and inclusive education for all children, enforce laws protecting girl-child rights, provide free sanitary products in schools, and ensure access to water, sanitation, and nutrition.
“When girls are protected, peace becomes possible,” she said. “I may be the Vice President for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day. They must continue in our policies, our classrooms, our conversations, and our budgets. Every girl deserves a classroom, a choice, dignity, and not silence.”
The symbolic takeover served as both an inspiration and a call to action, reinforcing the urgent need to prioritize girl-child education in Nigeria.
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