Dutse, Oct. 22, 2025
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has reaffirmed commitment to collaborate with the High-Level Women Advocates(HiLWA), the European Union(EU) the Jigawa state on increasing access to girls education.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr Rahama Mohammed, made reaffirmation on Tuesday, in a good will message at a one-day dissemination workshop.
The workshop on the role of women in leadership positions in the Basic Education sector in Jigawa State, was organised by HiLWA to disseminate a baseline survey conducted by the association.
Mohammed commended the HiLWA for their insight in conducting a baseline study and the EU for providing the financial support that made the research possible.
“The European Union has been a steadfast partner to UNICEF and the Government of Nigeria, working hand in hand to strengthen education systems.
“It also supports the improvement of learning outcomes, and advances gender equality across states, including Jigawa,the Chief said.
He stressed that for UNICEF, gender equality in education is not just about getting girls into classrooms but ensuring that women are also leading, influencing, and transforming the educational systems from within.
“This vision is at the heart of the UNICEF Gender Action Plan (2022–2025), which calls for women’s full participation and leadership across education and other sectors.
“The Plan reminds us that achieving gender equality requires tackling deep-rooted barriers, transforming harmful social norms, and creating enabling environments where women can thrive and lead confidently.
“We will continue to support initiatives that empower women educators, amplify their voices, and open doors for them to lead not as exceptions, but as equals.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the association, Professor Umma Abdulwahid, also reaffirmed its commitment to minimise obstacles and ensure full schools enrolment in Jigawa.
According to her, “this shall be achieved through increasing the positions of women in decision making, to enable them provide leadership as mentors or role models across various communities.
“The importance of advocacy and community mobilisation, is to widen the involvement of relevant stakeholders to provide the transformative environment, for girls and women to contribute to national development.
“It is with this vision, that we embrace the Rapid Appraisal Exercise, to provide a baseline data for action.
“The data provides evidence to engage stakeholders, whose support is necessary to achieve our goals,” she said.
Mrs Abdulwahid added that the assessment will provide evidence on systematic underrepresentation of women and how it limits the integration of gender in planning, policy formulation and governance.
She however, expressed hope that the Namadi administration would implement the recommendations of the report, being a gender-sensitive administration.
The wife of the state Governor, Mrs Hadiza Namadi, expressed delight over the effort and resilience by HiLWA to conduct the study.
She said that the administration has priotized education and girls education in particular, noting that it is a gender-sensitive administration.
Mrs Namadi commended the efforts of UNICEF and EU for providing endless technical support for the development of education in Jigawa state.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of Jigawa State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) Professor Haruna Musa, pledged continuous support to HiLWA to achieve set goals.
He described the deteriorating condition of basic education and poor learning outcomes in Jigawa state, pledging to support its development.
Aisha Ahmed ✍ from Dutse
