The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, affirmed that Islam supports the education of the girl child, dispelling misconceptions during the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project event on Thursday in Bauchi.
The initiative, organized by the Ministry of Education and supported by the World Bank, aims to promote educational opportunities for girls.
Addressing the attendees, Sultan Abubakar emphasized that the barriers to girl child education in the region are not rooted in Islamic teachings. “Islam is not against the education of the girl child. There are a couple of reasons the issue is not tackled here and in other states. The main thing is how it is being done to educate people,” he stated.
During his visit, the Sultan observed children hawking on the streets and discussed with them their school schedules, which included morning and afternoon sessions. This observation led him to highlight the importance of community awareness and involvement in promoting education.
“I think it is very important to talk to ourselves. Giving the girl child education is the best thing to do because she will use it to better the society as she will take care of herself, her family, and the community,” the Sultan added.
