Wife Of Sokoto Governor Inaugurates Pivotal 3-day Workshop On Rejuvenating Education On GBV In Schools
Wife Of Sokoto Governor Inaugurates Pivotal 3-day Workshop On Rejuvenating Education On GBV In Schools
In a decisive move to protect female students and enhance learning, the Wife of the Sokoto State Governor Her Excellency, Dr Fatima Ahmad Aliyu, on Tuesday, declared the state’s unwavering zero-tolerance policy towards Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in schools. She made the declaration while inaugurating a pivotal 3-day workshop on “Rejuvenating Education Through Quality Instruction and School-Related Gender-Based Violence Management.”
The event, organized by the State’s Female Education Board and strategically aligned with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, convened educators and stakeholders to address critical safety and quality issues in female schools.
Hajiya Fatima Aliyu described the workshop as “not only timely but necessary,” directly linking School-Related GBV to rising dropout rates among girls. She provided a comprehensive definition of GBV, stating it encompasses “any form of violence, coercion, or harmful practice—whether physical, emotional, verbal, digital, economic, or discriminatory—experienced because of one’s gender.”
She framed the initiative within the broader educational reforms of Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration, a cornerstone of the state’s 9-Point Smart Innovative Agenda. The First Lady highlighted the administration’s corrective measures, citing the consistent top allocation to education in state budgets to reverse “years of neglect.”
“Today, I am glad to state that this administration is renovating numerous primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across the State,” she announced, listing concrete steps including the procurement and distribution of school furniture and the introduction of a N200,000 monthly imprest for all school principals to improve operational efficiency.
Central to the reform, she noted, is the “training and retraining of teachers,” with this workshop specifically approved by the Governor to build capacity for safer school environments and better pedagogy.
Directly addressing the participants, the First Lady charged them with a critical mandate: “Your role as educators is critical. I charge you to take full advantage of the knowledge and skills that this training will provide. The safety of our children, particularly our girls, depends on how effectively we implement what we learn.”
Concluding with a firm commitment, she said, “We shall continue to work to ensure that our schools remain safe spaces where teaching and learning thrive without fear, intimidation, or discrimination.”
Dr Fatima thereafter declared the workshop open, expressing hope that it would lead to an education system where every child can learn and succeed in safety.
Other speakers at the event included the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, the State Coordinator Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment AGILE and Sarkin Yakin Gagi Alhaji Sani Jabbi.
