Osinbajo inaugurates girls’ academy in Sokoto, says education fosters prosperous societies

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says society is “healthier, happier and more prosperous” when girls are educated. 

Speaking on Thursday at the virtual inauguration of the management board of Adawiyya Girls Academy in Minannata, Sokoto, the vice-president said the federal government remains committed to providing quality education.

He commended Rabiatu Adawiyya, the founder of the academy, for the initiative, adding that she “understood a reality that even the best minds are only just realising, that when you educate a girl, you educate a whole society”.

“Ignorance has no benefit, ignorance is darkness but education is the bright light of knowledge that can help us to live healthier, happier and more prosperous lives,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by Laolu Akande, his spokesperson.

“Education is dangerous without morals and uprightness. We must teach our children the highest standards of honesty, piety, and hard work.

“I am glad that the students of Adawiyya Girls Academy Sokoto have this great opportunity of being offered both conventional and religious education using the most advanced modern teaching tools available in our time.

“Rabiatu Adawiyya’s dream is today a reality and has started a movement that will bring about the education of millions of girls from poor families across Nigeria.

“Education is the ladder by which even the poorest can climb to the top in the society, but the ladder of education is a special ladder, it is not only the educated person who climbs, their family members and others around them can learn from them and also begin to climb the ladder to the top.

“A lot of thinking has gone into designing the curriculum for the school and we have ensured that we have the best teachers anywhere in the country.

“Technology and technology tools for teaching and learning are a fundamental part of our pedagogy. The school’s technology facilities are state-of-the-art and the school, in keeping with best practice, has an intentionally optimised teacher-to-student ratio.”

The Adawiyya Girls Academy, established in collaboration with Text Foundation — a digital and foundational literacy nonprofit organisation — focuses on providing education for girls from underprivileged backgrounds.