Ondo Gov’s Wife Urges Girls to Change Gender Narrative

Mary Nnah

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s wife, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredeolu, has expressed confidence that the female technology leaders produced by BEMORE Summer Bootcamp will change the country’s gender narrative.

She said this at the Ondo State Public Service Institute (PSTI) Ilaramokin, Ifedore Local Government Area, during the opening ceremony of the Ondo State edition of the 2021 BEMORE Summer Boot Camp for girls.

Akeredolu set up the BEMORE Summer Boot Camp in 2017 to aid the empowerment of the 21st-century Nigerian girl child and womenfolk in general, with the right knowledge and skill-set to impact society positively.

The governor’s wife, accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the life-enhancing skills the girls acquire during the programme would enable them to become change agents.

The ongoing edition features over 350 girls. The boot camp helps participants build core competencies in teamwork, problem-solving, social and leadership skills, information and communication technology, and renewable energy.

Akeredolu said, “BEMORE has come to stay. I make bold to say, BEMORE has come to stay. Yes, we are committed to building an army of female technology leaders. Given that their minds have been re-wired to have a different orientation.”

She added, “The BEMORE girls will become a generation I had named ‘A breed without greed’. The girls will be taught to become selfless change agents by making service their watchword. In fact, with these girls, I foresee a future where females lead.”

She urged the “digital and solar girls” to do their best to listen and learn all they could during the summer boot camp.

According to her, four years down the lane, the boot camp is close to training 2,000 young secondary girls in ICT, SOLAR Technology and other life-enhancing skills.

Aiyedatiwa commended Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu and the BEMORE team for their “giant strides” to ensure girl child education and improve human capital development.

“Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives.

They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families,” he noted. “Girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Education for girls goes beyond access to school. It’s also about girls feeling safe in classrooms and supported in the subjects and careers they choose to pursue – including those in which they are often under-represented.”