…As JDPC hosts International Day
Girl children have been tasked to be focused, curious and courageous to face obstacles lining their path to becoming successful persons in their chosen fields and influential leaders in the home, school, and society at large. The charge was given by Barr. Ifeoma Ben, Founding Partner, The Law Suite/Founder, Legal Business Network, while delivering the Keynote Address during a symposium, commemorating the 2025 International Day of the Girl-Child, organised by Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC), Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, held at St. Thomas More Chaplaincy Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka.
Barr. Ben urged the young ones to use their voice to promote peace, justice, and inclusion, adding that the stay focused, curious and courageous girl they are today, will become the woman who transforms her world tomorrow. She said the theme, “The Girl that I am, the change I lead” and sub-theme: “Girls on the frontlines of crisis – locally courageous” is profound, speaks of self-awareness, purpose, and leadership, as she tasked the girls to understand their worth, and stand up for themselves and others. She urged parents, teachers, priests, and policymakers to support the female children by building schools that are safe, communities that are inclusive, and systems that reward merit and integrity, noting that girls also face the crisis of misuse of social media, substance abuse among vices of the present time.
Making remarks on the occasion, Very Rev. Fr. Raymond Anoliefo, Director, JDPC, Lagos, said girls are not just victims of the world’s crises, but also the bearers of light within those storms, including poverty and violence. He called for investment in girls’ education and protection of their dignity, adding that when their dreams are amplified, we invest in the soul of a better nation, strong and thriving families, communities and society. Fr. Anoliefo noted that a growing menace that is robbing the youths of their tomorrow is the scourge of drugs, leading to health, moral, social, and developmental crises that eat deep into the hearts of families and nations.
He informed the girls that they are stronger than the lure of drugs, brighter than the lies that promise escape, and worth more than any temporal highness, reminding them that they are the generation chosen to stand at the frontlines to rebuild, restore, and renew. He urged parents, teachers, and all adults to build fences of love, as well as create safe spaces where girls can speak freely, be listened to, and be guided gently towards purpose, asking that the boys be taught to see girls not as rivals or objects, but as partners in building a just society.
The event which saw girls from different schools in Lagos participate in activities, including poetry presentation and interschool debates, also featured a panel session where the panelists discussed the challenges, especially drug abuse confronting the Nigerian child as they proffered solutions to curbing the menace.
