The value of girl child education in Nigeria

The girl child is a biological female offspring from birth to 18 years of age. This is the age before one becomes a young adult. This period covers the creche, nursery or early childhood (0-5 year), primary (6-12 years) and secondary (12-18 years). During this period, the young child is totally under the care of the adult who may be parents or guardians. Which means she is dependent on the significant of others.

Education is the process of providing information to an inexperienced person to help him or her develop physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, politically and economically. Education is the process through which individuals are made functional members of their society (ocho 2005).

It is a process through which an individual acquire knowledge and realises his or her potentialities and uses them for self actualisation, to be useful to themselves and others. It is a means of preserving, transmitting and improving the culture of the society.

To educate a girl child means to train her mind, character and abilities. Education is fundamental human right that should be availed to every girl child irrespective of the age and nationality. The importance of education in the life of a girl child can never be over-emphasised.

In both spiritual and temporal mundane aspects of human existence, education is paramount. It is the light that shows the way by removing the darkness of ignorance; salt that gives the taste of life; the medicine that cures and the key which open doors. The greatest favour a girl child can get is “to get education” and “to give others education.”

Therefore, educating the girl child translates to better health for the future generations, reduction in child mobility and mortality thus triggering a snowball effect of achieving all other sustainable development goals in a viable manner. The girl child education also prepares her to face realities in society and teaches her to be a good wife and mother. When she is educated, she realises the full potentials endowed in her; she discovers to be whoever and whatever she wants to be.