In order to bridge the illiteracy gap and reduce number of out-of-school children, Executive Director Human Development Initiatives (HDI) Olufunso Owasanoye has stressed the need to invest and prioritize education.
Speaking at the Children summit 2024 held at the University of Lagos recently, she added children with disabilities must also been given utmost attention.
She advised teachers to impart knowledge effectively and children must also listen to their parents and teachers. To her, parents must also pay attention to their children.
On the essence of the programme, she disclosed, “we discovered children are being seen but not heard so we felt we should bring the children together, listen to them and interrogate the issues. It is also a platform for the children to showcase their talents.”
The programme was organised by HDI in partnership with I-Create Club. There were poem recitations, cultural dance, drama presentations, panel discussion, science demonstrations, art presentation, among others.
On her part, founder I-Create Club Eniola Afolayan described education as the bedrock of everything.
Insisting government must support education, she said: “I’m happy with what the children did. We live in an era where people are running out of the country, but the potential in Nigeria is massive. What we want is a system that supports these talents.”
Over the years, HDI has been involved in youths and child rights advocacy/ social intervention; media advocacy and public intervention; law, policy and government reforms; medical/ health intervention; life skill and economic empowerment; legal and psycho- social counselling among others.
