Young female filmmakers and stakeholders have urged governments and partners to end school dropout and child marriage, using films and personal stories to advocate policies guaranteeing every girl’s right to education nationwide.
A major attraction was CIKAS, a short film written, directed and produced by girls under the PAGED Initiative, spotlighting poor educational access, inadequate facilities and financial hardship driving school dropout.
Ms Ummi Bukar, Programme Director of PAGED Initiative, said the project was created to give girls, particularly married adolescents, a platform to advocate for themselves through storytelling and lived experiences.
“We wanted these young women to showcase the work they have been doing and use their voices to advocate for themselves and their communities.
“When people hear these stories, they understand the human face behind the challenges. Storytelling can move policy because it creates empathy and inspires action,” she said.
Bukar said community engagements showed that although enrolment of girls had improved in some locations, many still dropped out before completing secondary education due to persistent social barriers.
She identified child marriage as a leading cause of school dropout, noting that many married adolescent girls still desired opportunities to return to school and complete their education.
According to her, policymakers must address barriers beyond enrolment, including inadequate sanitation facilities, childcare support and conducive learning environments for married and pregnant adolescent girls nationwide.
Ms Nabila Aguele, Chief Executive Officer of Malala Fund Nigeria, said the event demonstrated the power of girls telling their own stories through film, advocacy and community engagement.
She said the screenings highlighted challenges faced by girls, including long distances to schools, poor infrastructure, lack of menstrual hygiene facilities and the prevalence of child marriage.
Aguele said another film documented experiences of married and pregnant adolescent girls who expressed a strong desire to continue their education in spite of societal barriers and widespread discrimination.
“These girls are not asking for pity; they are demanding their right to education.
“There are more than 23 million girls married before the age of 18 in Nigeria.
“They deserve the opportunity to return to school, build their futures and break the cycle of poverty for future generations,” she said.
She added that commitments were secured from representatives of the Federal Ministries of Education, Women Affairs, and Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy to strengthen advocacy.
Dr Folake Olatunji-David, Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, represented by Dr Efi Anam, Assistant Director, said the ministry had developed national guidelines supporting school re-entry for girls.
She urged civil society organisations to support domestication and implementation of the policy across states to ensure pregnant and adolescent girls could continue their education uninterrupted nationwide.
“We have developed the guidelines, but implementation requires collaboration.
“If organisations take ownership of different states, we can ensure more girls return to school and contribute meaningfully to national development,” she said.
Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Mrs Halima Oyelade, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with development partners and the private sector to empower girls.
Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization, Mrs Aisha Adamu-Augie, described storytelling as a powerful tool for changing social norms and influencing policy decisions.
She said hearing directly from girls made their experiences more relatable and strengthened advocacy efforts aimed at advancing reforms promoting education, inclusion and gender equality nationwide.
“When girls tell their own stories through film, people understand their realities in a deeper way.
“Stories create empathy, shape public opinion and often become the catalyst for meaningful policy change. Nigeria must continue to support initiatives that use storytelling to transform lives,” she said.
Some girls at the event shared experiences of overcoming pregnancy, marriage and societal challenges, while demonstrating resilience and determination to continue their education in spite of difficult circumstances.
They appealed to government and policymakers to implement programmes guaranteeing access to quality education for married adolescent girls and women seeking opportunities to return to school.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Malala Day, observed annually on July 12, commemorates Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai’s 2013 United Nations address and promotes girls’ education and leadership globally.
