In commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, UN Eminent Ambassador and Gender Priority Strategy Ambassador, Amb. Dr Ogochuku Okekpolo has called for greater investment in the education, safety, and empowerment of Nigerian girls, describing the girl child as “not just a girl, but the future.”
Speaking in a message to mark the 2025 celebration themed “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” Okekpolo said it was time for society to stop seeing girls as dependents and start recognising them as leaders in the making.
“When you give a girl a voice, she changes the conversation. When you give her a platform, she changes her community. And when you give her a chance, she changes the world,” she said.
The Ambassador, who described herself as “a Nigerian woman, a mother, and an advocate who has walked this journey,” noted that she had personally witnessed how girls flourish when supported and believed in.
“I’ve seen young girls rise from quiet corners into bold spaces of influence,” she said. “The truth is, girls are not waiting for the future; they are already creating it, in classrooms, communities, and even conflict zones, leading with courage, creativity, and clarity of purpose.”
Okekpolo, however, expressed concern that many girls across Nigeria still face barriers such as poverty, cultural bias, early marriage, and lack of access to education or technology.
“For every girl who shines, there are many more whose dreams are silenced,” she said, urging parents, governments, communities, and the private sector to close these gaps.
She stressed that investing in the girl child is not charity but a smart strategy, explaining that “every empowered girl grows into a woman who transforms families, drives economies, strengthens communities, and builds nations.”
Calling for safe spaces where girls can dream and lead without fear, the Ambassador said: “Let’s raise girls who are not afraid to dream, think boldly, speak fearlessly, and lead wisely.”
She further emphasised that the empowerment of girls must move beyond rhetoric to national policy action.
“As a Gender Priority Strategy Ambassador and UN Eminent Ambassador, I believe this is not just a global conversation, it is a national responsibility,” she declared. “Nigeria must rise to give every girl equal access to education, technology, healthcare, safety, and leadership opportunities.”
Okekpolo went on to celebrate every Nigerian girl, from rural villages to urban centres, whose voices “carry the power to change the world.”
“She is not just a girl. She is a leader in the making. She is the future. When the girl child rises, Nigeria rises,” Okekpolo affirmed.
