Kaduna state governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai yesterday called for massive investment in the education of teenage girls for sustainable development.

Governor el-Rufai in a statement he  personally signed and issued in Kaduna, to mark the 2016 World Population Day today, said increased investments should be made in health and education for the benefit of the teenagers who are living the transition from childhood to early adulthood.

According to the governor, his administration has ensured that issues concerning teenage girls are adequately captured in the State Development Plan  (SDP).

El-Rufai noted further that the present administration, under his leadership, “upholds the universal right of all persons, including teenage girls, to education, health and freedom from violence.”

The governor said, society must ensure that the teenage girls who are the voiceless, marginalised and the  vulnerable are heard and given the opportunity to be included in all  decision-making processes that affect them.

“Kaduna State Government appreciates the importance of population issues as a key factor in sustainable development. Therefore, we are delighted to mark the 2016 world population day. This is especially true of teenage girls who often face more challenges than their male counterparts. “World Population Day which has the theme: Investing in Teenage Girls.

We welcome the focus on this important demography. Teenagers are living the transition from childhood to early adulthood, and require that increased investments be made in health and education for the benefit of the young.

“Without education, in poor health, and with little or no control over her own body, her future can be derailed, and her potential may never be realised. The challenges and obstacles faced by a teenage girl tend to multiply if she is a member of an ethnic minority, lives in a village or is from a poor household. But when a teenage girl has the power, the means and the information to make her own decisions in life, she is more likely to realise her full potentials and become a positive force for change in her home, community and the Nation.

Credit: Leadership