By Olugbolahan Kuku
The International Day of the Girl Child is a global celebration of the United Nations for Girl Child. It is a universal effort to emancipate the female gender from the various prejudices of society, starting from girlhood… The global theme of this year’s International Day of the Girl Child is: “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead.”
At Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Hon. Adetola Abubakar creates an ingenious programme in her Local Council to nail this objective! She calls it “Project S.H.E.”: Safety. Hygeine. Education. The Executive Chairman indeed stands up to lead the change in the lives of the school-age girls of Agboyi Ketu who were gathered in their numbers for inspirational lectures and speeches about their safety, hygiene and education.
At an event laden with dignitaries, a large number of school girls were gathered at the Agboyi-Ketu LCDA Multipurpose Hall for Project S.H.E. They welcomed their “Mummy Agboyi-Ketu” with their iconic “Love Cheers”, a genuflection the school children of Agboyi-Ketu created for Hon. Adetola Abubakar. The atmosphere was electric, loving and… “girly”! Of the array of guests that graced the occasion, it was a naturally harmonious sync that most of the leaders of the Local Council administration are women:
The Council Treasurer; Mrs. Mulikat Abiodun Onisarotu
Chief Medical Officer of Health; Dr. Maryam Oshodi
Other female Heads of Department include: Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation; Mrs. Dorcas Adeyemi
HOD Agriculture; Mrs. Abiola Osisanya
HOD Information & Public Affairs, Mrs. Aniedi Ann Bello
HOD Information Technology (ICT); Mrs. Remilekun Oyejola
HOD Procurement; Mrs. Rukayat Olayemi Awoniyi
HOD Budget & Planning; Mrs. Bukola Adeola
HOD Tourism; Mrs. Victoria Abimbola
…all present to cheer the girls of Agboyi-Ketu on their special day!
The occasion was graced by dignitaries such as Pa. Stephen Oyedele represented by Hon. Tajudeen Akinyemi, Hon. Bashir Adewale; CDC Chairman, Hon. Abiodun Ogungbo, Hon. Alaba Saliu and the seven Councilors of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, one of them being a lady; Hon. Amdalat Akinyemi. And of course the Chief Host was Hon. Adetola Adunni Abubakar together with her Deputy; Hon. Yomi Ganiyu.
The Executive Secretary of Lagos State Domestic & Sexual Violence Agency was represented at Project S.H.E. by Mrs. Fisayo Amole who gave the school girls Agboyi-Ketu a lecture they will live to remember about their feminity and rights. At the end of the lecture, she gave the audience the 24/7 hotline of the DSVA to call in toll-free for reports, enquiries and emergencies: 08000333333.
The Council’s Medical Officer of Health being a woman had the befitting responsibility to enlighten the young girls on menstrual health. One special guest of Project S.H.E. was a Beauty Queen – Miss Lagos Sustainability; Kemi Lawal who also took her turn to motivate the girls in an educative and inspiring session.
During her speech, Hon. Adetola Abubakar introduced Project S.H.E. to the audience, noting that the largesse of the girls empowerment project is not just once-off in celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, it will be a regular exercise to distribute free-of-charge items of the Project S.H.E. handout package. Some of these include: Sanitary Pads, Sanitary Wipes & Tissue Papers, Deodorants, Soaps and other items of personal hygiene. Beyond the personal hygiene products, the girls of Agboyi-Ketu have received life-long lessons about who they are as girls.
The event was attended by school girls from all the Government-owned Secondary and Primary Schools in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA. At the 2025 edition of International Day of the Girl Child, Project S.H.E. was born and according to the Executive Chairman, S.H.E. has come to stay!
