News
Nigeria’s North Poised for Transformation as New Analysis Shows Investing in Girls Could Yield Massive Returns
Nigeria’s North Poised for Transformation as New Analysis Shows Investing in Girls Could Yield Massive Returns
By: Michael Mike
A groundbreaking new policy brief has revealed that investing in adolescent girls in Northern Nigeria could deliver life-changing gains for young women and multibillion-dollar returns for the country.
The latest findings support what experts have long argued: that educating girls is not just a social imperative but one of the highest-yielding economic investments Nigeria can make.
According to the new analysis, scaling up proven programmes in Kano and Kaduna States with an investment of US$ 114 million over four years would reach 1.1 million adolescent girls and generates 3.9 million additional years of schooling averts 327,000 child marriages, prevents 383,000 adolescent pregnancies, saves 3,651 adolescent mothers’ lives, reduces 35,675 under-five deaths and delivers an astonishing 21-to-1 return on investment, valued at $2.5 billion
Policymakers are calling the findings a “wake-up call” for national and state governments and an opportunity Nigeria cannot afford to miss.
Despite progress in some parts of the country, millions of Nigerian girls especially in the North still face interrupted education. More than 7.6 million girls are out of school, half of them in the Northwest and Northeast. And while the national secondary school completion rate hovers at 34%, it is just 28% in the Northwest.
The consequences are immediate and generational. Girls without schooling face earlier marriage (median age 16.6 with no education vs. 21.7 for those completing secondary school), higher risk of intimate partner violence, reduced decision-making power Increased risk of maternal complications and death, a greater likelihood of having stunted or malnourished children
Unfortunately, these outcomes reverberate through communities, reinforcing cycles of poverty, poor health, and limited opportunity.
But fortunately, Northern Nigeria is not starting from scratch. The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) in Kaduna has spent over a decade pioneering targeted, evidence-backed models that are now informing national policy.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE), Habiba Mohammed, delivered an urgent call for Nigeria to expand opportunities for every girl—whether in school, out of school, married, young, or facing barriers to further education.
She said educating girls is the foundation for safer communities, stronger families, and a more prosperous nation.
Speaking to policymakers, development partners, teachers, and community members, Mohammed outlined CGE’s comprehensive approach to supporting girls aged 4 to 24, emphasizing that the organization “works with girls at every stage” from preschoolers to married adolescents, from girls seeking vocational skills to those aiming for careers in STEM.
CGE’s model blends literacy, numeracy, life skills, vocational training, and mentorship in safe spaces across communities and schools.
She said: “We train teachers to become mentors. This gives us ripple effects indirect beneficiaries who carry forward the skills and knowledge.”
The organisation works hand-in-hand with community leaders, religious leaders, parents, husbands of married adolescents, school heads, and government officials, ensuring interventions align with local realities.
CGE also collaborates closely with local government education authorities to secure school placements for girls returning to the classroom and to ensure smooth transitions from one level of schooling to the next.
“We don’t want a situation where girls drop out. When girls learn, the possibility of them being retained in school is very high,” she said.
Mohammed highlighted the story of Sakina, a CGE beneficiary who used her voice to spark policy change.
During an advocacy visit supported by the Malala Fund, Sakina told the former governor of Kaduna State:
“I have achieved something, but I have sisters out there who need the same opportunity. School fees are stopping many girls.”
Her plea moved the governor to scrap school fees for all children girls and boys from primary through senior secondary school. The reform became reality, opening classrooms to thousands of learners.
“The voice of the girl was powerful,” Mohammed said. “When we get the right stakeholders, no girl will be left behind.”At CGE, girls are not passive recipients they are activists.
“We believe in the slogan: nothing for us without us,” Mohammed said. “We train our girls to use their voices to speak to policymakers.”
Girls supported by CGE appear on radio and TV, advocate in Hausa and English, and speak publicly about why they want education and why it is a fundamental right.
Addressing the barriers faced by married adolescents, Mohammed shared her own story of completing university while raising three children:
“I was eight months pregnant with my first child when I started university… and before I graduated, I had three children. It did not stop me.”
She stressed that married girls can thrive academically if given supportive environments including child care options, mentorship, and encouragement from family members.
“Our mothers-in-law, co-wives, and extended families can help us continue,” she said. “The issue is understanding not control.”
According to her, girls trained in CGE safe spaces develop the life skills to navigate complex family dynamics. “When you see them, everybody wants to be like them.”
Security threats from community clashes to insurgency remain a challenge. While CGE cannot enforce security, Mohammed said community partnerships are critical.
“Our focal persons inform us immediately if there is a conflict. The safety of mentors, staff, and girls is a priority.”
Communities themselves provide protection and ensure that programmes continue when conditions are safe.
Mohammed urged state governments to develop concrete policies that allow girls who married early or became pregnant to return to school seamlessly.
“Every girl who wants to go back to school should find the door open,” she said.
She pointed to CGE research showing that transition from primary to secondary school was once only 4% in programme communities. But after just one year of life skills intervention, 82% of girls re-enrolled.
“This shows what can happen when girls gain confidence and support,” she said. “Now it is the responsibility of government to create space for every girl.”
“Issues of early marriage will be history. Issues of girls not going to school will be history. Issues of gender-based violence, Boko Haram, kidnapping all will be history in Nigeria. The only thing we need is to educate the girl child.”
Mohammed emphasized that the goal is not to position education against marriage, but to ensure that girls enter both on their own terms, prepared, informed, and empowered.
“Marriage does not stop education, and education does not stop marriage”
Mohammed challenged the widespread belief that schooling and marriage are mutually exclusive for girls in Northern Nigeria. Instead, she argued that girls should marry “at an appropriate age, when she is ready”and that readiness is most often achieved when they complete secondary education.
“For us, it is not the age, it is the maturity,” she said. “If a girl is able to marry after completion of secondary school, she is ready.”
“A girl who is able to go through a life skills component… will understand that she has a voice. She can use her voice,” she said.
According to her, stigma loses its power when girls develop self-confidence and resilience. “Even if it is there, it will not stop her from achieving her goals.”
CGE’s life skills curriculum includes lessons on self-esteem, communication, goal setting, and managing emotional and psychological challenges such as trauma from gender based violence.
Mohammed also discussed CGE’s innovative approach to literacy, supported by the Jolie-Phoenix phonics component, which transforms learning into an interactive, fun experience.
“It is a fun way of learning. The participants learn between songs,” she explained.
She noted that the approach has yielded success, particularly for girls who previously struggled with literacy, stating that phonics-based lessons enable girls to read and write, adding that local -language numeracy makes mathematics easier to grasp, being able to read signs in hospitals, on the road, or at school motivates girls to stay in school; peer learning allows fast learners to support slower learners, strengthening community bonds and accelerating progress.
Mohammed said: “In Hausa, they want to see the end of that education,” describing the sense of achievement girls feel when they can read independently.
She noted that effective teacher training is absolutely critical and that “no teacher is untrainable.”
From her experience recruiting mentors from public schools, she recounted how educators who initially struggled quickly transformed with the right training:
CGE’s life skills curriculum also includes modules to support survivors of rape, domestic abuse, and other forms of gender-based violence. These sessions help girls rebuild emotional strength and regain control of their lives.
“They can be able to do better with their emotions,” habiba explained. “They can be able to help themselves out of the situation they found themselves in.”
She appeal for collaboration among government agencies, civil society, donors, teachers, traditional leaders, and parents.
“If we put our hands and heads together, not working in silos… we will be able to reach where we want to go about girls’ education,” she said.
CGE’s model continues to demonstrate that when girls are nurtured academically, emotionally, and socially, they thrive regardless of the stigma or barriers around them.
Nigeria’s North Poised for Transformation as New Analysis Shows Investing in Girls Could Yield Massive Returns
President Tinubu To BRICS: It Is Time To Rewrite The Rules Of Global Governance, Finance
**Positions Nigeria as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under AfCFTA
** *Seeks deeper BRICS cooperation in AI, digital public infrastructure, fintech, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotechnology, others
By: Our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday took centre stage at the ongoing 2026 BRICS Summit, calling for an urgent overhaul of global governance structures and international financial institutions.
He called for a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance architecture and international financial system, restating Nigeria’s support for institutions that reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities.
Speaking at the summit in New Delhi, India, in an address delivered on his behalf by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu said the transformation championed by BRICS must also extend to the international system.
“Nigeria supports a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance architecture, including reform of the United Nations Security Council and the international financial system.
“BRICS amplifies the voice of the Global South and advances a more inclusive international order, consistent with Nigeria’s call for institutions that reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities,” he stated.
Accordingly, President Tinubu made Nigeria’s case for “a BRICS partnership that moves from dialogue to delivery, from commitments to implementation, and from cooperation to measurable development outcomes.”
Inviting foreign investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s investment opportunities, he urged them to view the country “as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
The President defined economic resilience for Nigeria as building an economy capable of withstanding global shocks while creating sustainable opportunities for its citizens.
This, he noted, is embedded in his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda through reforms aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability, diversifying production, raising productivity, expanding infrastructure and human capital, attracting investment, promoting private-sector-led growth and deepening climate resilience.
“We welcome BRICS cooperation in trade, agriculture, food security, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare and critical minerals, especially partnerships that advance technology transfer, local value addition, industrial capacity and employment,” he added.
President Tinubu identified Nigeria’s young and dynamic population as one of its greatest assets, saying its creativity and enterprise are driving the country’s innovation agenda.
The Nigerian leader outlined key areas of investment to include digital skills, entrepreneurship, research, artificial intelligence, and technology-enabled businesses through initiatives such as 3MTT, Project BRIDGE, and national AI programmes.
He continued: “We welcome deeper BRICS cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, fintech, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing, because developing countries must produce technology, create knowledge and own intellectual property. A nation that owns no technology risks renting its future.
“Nigeria sees cooperation with BRICS as a practical opportunity for trade, investment, technology transfer, and human-capital development. We support partnerships in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, and industrialisation, backed by development finance.
“As Project BRIDGE expands broadband, fibre and digital public services, we seek an open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem that advances innovation, digital trade, responsible artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity”
Noting that Nigeria’s sustainability model balances climate action with the development aspirations of emerging economies, President Tinubu reaffirmed the country’s support for affordable climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building for Africa.
He also emphasised cooperation in renewable energy, gas, clean technologies, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable infrastructure, and responsible critical-mineral development to ensure that climate responsibility drives broader economic growth.
The Nigerian leader expressed Nigeria’s readiness to contribute to a BRICS partnership that is resilient enough to withstand global shocks, innovative enough to embrace the future, cooperative enough to advance shared prosperity and sustainable enough to protect future generations.
“Our partnerships must create jobs, expand trade, transfer technology, and strengthen our nations’ productive capacity. We must build a future in which Africa moves from the margins of global development to the frontiers of global growth and innovation,” he maintained.
Earlier, opening the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said confidence in BRICS among countries of the Global South had grown because their voices were being heard, their experiences respected and solutions developed with them rather than for them.
Modi said the strength of BRICS lies in its diversity and cooperation, noting that the bloc was also expanding participation beyond governments to entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, and young people.
“We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity,” he said.
He added that initiatives such as BRICS CONNECT, the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal, and the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub were designed to promote skills, employment, enterprise development and knowledge-sharing among member and partner countries.
The Indian Prime Minister also stressed the need to balance development with environmental responsibility, saying sustainability must remain central to BRICS cooperation and the interests of future generations.
President Tinubu To BRICS: It Is Time To Rewrite The Rules Of Global Governance, Finance
VP Shettima Mourns Bamanga Tukur, Says Nigeria Has Lost A Patriot, Global Star
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has expressed deep sadness over the passing of former Governor of old Gongola State and prominent Nigerian businessman, Alhaji Bamanga Muhammad Tukur, the Tafidan Adamawa.
He described the death of the elder statesman and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who passed away on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the age of 90, as a huge loss to Nigeria, saying he was a true patriot, a global citizen and an institution in his own right.
In a condolence message on Sunday, the Vice President said Bamanga Tukur’s demise was not just a loss to Adamawa State or the Fombina Emirate, but a monumental loss to Nigeria and the African continent.
“I am deeply grieved by the passing of our father, mentor and one of Nigeria’s greatest institution-builders, Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Muhammad Tukur, CON, the Tafidan Adamawa, who returned to his Creator today, September 12, 2026, at the age of 90, just three days shy of his 91st birthday.
“Alhaji Bamanga Tukur lived a life of impact in three distinct but interlinked worlds — as a technocrat who built Nigeria’s modern maritime infrastructure, as a statesman and politician who governed with vision, and as a pan-African business leader who put Africa’s private sector on the world map,” he stated.
Paying tribute to his service to the nation, Senator Shettima said, “Nigerians of my generation will never forget that in 1975, when Nigerian ports were gridlocked by the infamous cement armada, a young, brilliant Bamanga Tukur was called to lead the Nigerian Ports Authority. He did not just clear the congestion; he built for the future.”
He recalled that, as General Manager and Chief Executive of the NPA from 1975 to 1982, Bamanga Tukur conceived and delivered the Tin Can Island Port Complex, modernised Apapa, Warri, Calabar, Sapele and Onne ports, and expanded the nation’s cargo-handling capacity.
“That singular intervention saved the Nigerian economy from collapse and created the gateway that still powers our trade today. In doing so, he became the first African Vice President and later a global icon in the International Association of Ports and Harbours in Tokyo, flying Nigeria’s flag high at a time when few Africans had such an opportunity,” VP Shettima added.
On his political career, the Vice President recalled that although his tenure as Governor of the old Gongola State, comprising present-day Adamawa and Taraba states, was cut short by the military intervention of December 1983, “Bamanga Tukur’s vision for rural development and education left an enduring mark.
“He later served as Minister for Industries under the Abacha administration and came full circle between 2012 and 2014 as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party at a most turbulent time. Even his fiercest political opponents attest that Tukur was a man of consensus, a man who chose the stability of the party over his own comfort when he voluntarily resigned in January 2014,” he said.
He also recalled Tukur’s continental role, saying, “Beyond Nigeria, Baba Tukur was Africa’s pride. As founder and Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group, he was one of the earliest voices to argue that Africa must trade with itself and that African businesses must drive African development. The ideas he championed are what have now blossomed into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“He was a true global citizen — an Adamawa son who sat on the Ghana Investors Advisory Council, advised the President of Benin Republic, and was honoured by Côte d’Ivoire and Togo for his continental service,” VP Shettima stated.
The Vice President extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, the Adamawa State Government and the people of the state, assuring them that Nigeria would never forget Bamanga Tukur.
He prayed that Almighty Allah, in His infinite mercy, would forgive his shortcomings, overlook his transgressions, grant his gentle soul Aljannatul Firdaus, and give the family the fortitude to bear the great loss.
VP Shettima Mourns Bamanga Tukur, Says Nigeria Has Lost A Patriot, Global Star
Troops intercept 10 rams after suspected herders flee in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 4, Sub-Sector 41, Gashish, have intercepted 10 rams abandoned by a group of suspected Fulani herders who fled upon sighting security personnel in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The troops, deployed at Panse general area, responded at about 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 following a report of unidentified Fulani herders camping around Rakwok community.
Upon arrival at the location, the troops observed the herders with their livestock. The group reportedly fled into the surrounding area after sighting the approaching soldiers, leaving some of their animals behind.
The troops subsequently recovered 10 rams abandoned at the scene and moved the animals to a secure location for further necessary action.
The development forms part of ongoing security operations in the area aimed at monitoring the movement of armed groups and preventing criminal elements from exploiting remote communities to carry out attacks.
Troops remain deployed across the general area to maintain security and respond to emerging threats.
Troops intercept 10 rams after suspected herders flee in Plateau
Dafinone Consults Ughelli North Stakeholders as Egbo Vows APC Victory in 2027
President Tinubu To BRICS: It Is Time To Rewrite The Rules Of Global Governance, Finance
VP Shettima Mourns Bamanga Tukur, Says Nigeria Has Lost A Patriot, Global Star
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
FAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News3 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions5 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News1 year agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions5 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS3 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns3 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Politics1 year ago2027: Why Hon. Midala Balami Must Go, as Youths in Hawul and Asikira/Uba Federal Constituency Reject ₦500,000 as Sallah Gift
