Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, has emphasized the importance of education for girls, urging them to prioritize their studies over early marriage. Speaking at an event organized by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Sonayon-James stated that every girl-child deserves "a book, not a wedding ring." The event was held to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, with the theme "End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls' Rights."
Sonayon-James addressed students from several public schools across Education District 5, emphasizing that a girl-child's potential is limitless when rooted in faith and purpose. She charged stakeholders to move past mere rhetoric and implement concrete structures to safeguard young girls. The deputy governorship hopeful expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for supporting girl-child education and opening pathways to leadership.
The event also featured a keynote address by the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, who called for immediate legislative enforcement, robust funding, and cross-sector collaboration to end child marriage across Nigeria. Meranda declared child marriage a profound human rights violation and a national development crisis, citing a December 2025 UNICEF report that 33.4 percent of young women aged 20–24 in Nigeria were married before age 18.
Meranda emphasized that cultural sensitivity must never excuse the violation of a child's rights, referencing the Lagos State Child Rights Law enacted in 2007. She urged traditional leaders to challenge harmful norms, schools to identify at-risk girls, and the private sector to fund secondary education, mentorship, and opportunities in STEAM fields, public leadership, and entrepreneurship.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, asserted that investing in girls is a prerequisite for a collective, sustainable future. He challenged the age-old stereotype that fields such as STEAM are exclusively for boys, declaring that the state is actively rewriting that narrative by positioning Lagos girls to thrive in laboratories, coding desks, engineering sites, and corporate boardrooms.
Other speakers at the event, including the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, and prominent female figures, emphasized the importance of education for both boys and girls. They urged the students to remain bold, curious, and innovative in tackling the world's complex problems and to dream big, remain determined, and stay focused on actualizing their dreams.
A major highlight of the event was a panel discussion, followed by a question-and-answer session and a health talk, facilitated by prominent female figures, including the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, and the Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi.
Key points
- Princess Damilola Sonayon-James urges girls to prioritize education over early marriage.
- The event aimed to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child and promote girls' rights.
- Stakeholders call for collaborative efforts to end child marriage and invest in girls' education.
