Akeredolu: 102 Women Die Daily During Childbirth

James Sowole in Akure

The Wife of the Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has said that not less than 102 women die every day as a result of childbirth, while 2,123 children die either before on their fifth birthday.

These challenges, according to her, are largely as a result of the low literacy level of our women, adding that half of Nigeria’s women population are seemingly uneducated.

Akeredolu, who is the founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), said the major cause of low literacy level among Nigerian women was the lack of opportunity to be properly schooled due to gender stereotypes prevailing in the country.

She said this at the second edition of BEMORE Summer Boot Camp opening ceremony held at Public Service Training Institute (PSTI), Ilara-Mokin where another set of 400 girls were being trained in the field of ICT and Solar Technology.

While speaking on the need to pay more attention to girl-child education in Nigeria, Akeredolu said that no nation can achieve sustainable development until special attention is paid to the girl-child in terms of education and protection.

She noted that female illiteracy in Nigeria remains high till date, adding that more than half of Nigerian women were still without any form of formal education.

She said: “Our greatest error as a nation is not the act that prompted the 1967 civil war. Our greatest error has been and continues to be, denying the girl child equal access to quality education by upholding cultural norms, traditions and religious beliefs that discriminate against them.

“I have dedicated my life to empowering the women folk simply because I understand that a prosperous woman equals a prosperous family and in turn a prosperous community.

“This this ideology drives me and I believe it should drive every individual seeking a better world today. An investment in the girl-child is not only an investment that secures our nation’s future but one that also transforms our present state.

“Young girls are vibrant and smart, they have potentials yearning for expression locked inside them. We will be astonished at what they can do if we support them in unlocking these potentials.

“I am optimistic that my girls will transform Nigeria to a digital country and bring an end to one of the greatest issues bedeviling our nation.”