GGA hosts Africa’s girl dialogue on media opportunities

Good Governance Africa, a research and advocacy non-profit organisation focused on improving governance across Africa, hosted a conference on Friday to commemorate the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child across its centres in the continent.

The event, brought together in collaboration with Boston Media House and Mail&Guardian, had media experts and young girls from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Ethiopia in attendance as they discussed the challenges and opportunities facing girls and young women.

The objective of the conference tagged “Exploring Career Opportunities in the Media Sector” was to raise awareness about the career opportunities in the media industry. It also featured a diverse range of speakers, including a keynote address by Precious Maputle, a 2023 M&G Power of Women award winner, who inspired the audience to dare to dream.

Maputle, a talented marketing coordinator, radio and television presenter, and events coordinator, also shared her journey into the media sector and encouraged young women to pursue their aspirations.

Also, a panel of experts, including Allegro Dinkwanyane from Orgella Group, CNBC’s Sally Sithole, and Dineo Sithole from Urban Brew Studio, provided an overview of the journalism, radio, and television industries. They shared their experiences in the field and offered valuable insights to aspiring professionals.

GGA Nigeria had over 70 participants gathered at Lekki Centre for the conference and panel section on gender-based violence. The panel discussion, which focused on “Girl’s Vision for the Future”, was done in collaboration with HeartMinders Initiative, a transformative NGO that has been at the forefront of fighting against GBV, rape, and child sexual abuse in Nigeria.

The panelists include Adeola Kingsley-James, Osayuwamen Saleh, and Zuriel Oloke. It was moderated by Tosin Adisa. During the panel discussion, Kingsley-James, a therapist, said, “Courage is not the absence of fear but fulfilling dreams regardless of intimidation. Distractions are quick to come, but everybody’s journey is unique and valid. As children, we’re faced with ups and downs. But the praise you give yourself is the purest of all praises. There has to be novelty with women.”

On her part, Saleh, a media entrepreneur, advised the participants to create an idea of what they want for themselves and not what the society wants for them. “One of the biggest things to help you is strong emotional stability. The things that control you are embedded in you. You must be intentional as a girl and not settle for less. You cannot take your life with levity. Women are visioners and should dream big.”

Olowe, a lawyer and emotional healing educator, added that vision is an engine that helps to people drive their lives. “You can’t continue to stay in a place that is bad for you. We need you alive,” she told the young girls. Meanwhile, the panellists agreed that empowering girls and young women requires a collaborative effort from civil societies, and the private sector.

Participants praised the conference for its informative and engaging content. Many expressed appreciation for the opportunity to connect with experts and peers across Africa. Speaking with the press, Kalu Esther, one of the conference participants and a student of Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls Secondary School, said the event was insightful. “I am very proud to be part of the programme. I learnt that I should not limit myself regardless of the situation and never stop trying new things.”

Another student of Baptist Girls Academy who simply identified herself as Testimony said, “I learnt that we should not let fears stand in our ways.”

Mbah Chiamaka, a 200-level student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said: “I learnt there’s a lot of potential in me and should be open to making mistakes. The panel discussion really spoke to me and I understand that there’s a lot of potential in me.”

In his closing remarks, Oladiran Bello, the executive director of GGA Nigeria, said it was an awesome event with young people, and they participated actively.

“I hope by doing this, we’ve supported them in some way in assuming that role of nation-builders and achieving their dreams. We will be doing this kind of engagement as a marathon and we will continue to engage the young girls as they navigate life and seek to achieve their aspirations,” Bello said.