Comrade Ayodele Olawande, Minister of State for Youth Development, on Friday, yielded his seat to 17-year old Miss Esther Adesanya Adesioye for one-day to mark the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child.
Adesioye, a 100 Level Law Student of the University of Abuja, had emerged winner of the IDG Essay Competition, thereby earning the honour to become the one-day Minister of State for Youth Development.
While stepping aside for the pro tem Minister, Comrade Ayodele Olawande noted that the gesture was in tandem with the aspiration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a country where gender does not determine access to opportunities, and where the female child in particular is sufficiently empowered to pursue her dreams.
“The President does not believe in any disparity between the male and female gender. However, due to the peculiar challenges confronting young girls growing up in our cultures, he shares the ideals of the International Day of the Girl Child and supports every initiative aimed at addressing the specific challenges girls face,” the Ministed said.
Olawande, who extended his congratulations to Miss Adesioye, expressed the hope that her feat would inspire other young girls to pursue excellence and aspire for greater responsibilities, without allowing any cultural or social inhibitions to derail them. He also expressed the willingness of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to continue to support every program that advances the development of Nigeria’s young people.
In her remarks, the one-day Minister of State expressed gratitude to Comrade Ayodele Olawande and the Ministry of Youth Development for considering the International Day of the Girl Child a priority, and most especially for creating an opportunity for her to experience leadership at the highest level.
She said, “I do not know how exactly to say this, but I would like to commend you and your team for the honour today. I do not take this for granted, and I will continue to strive for excellence in order to be a worthy role model for other young girls of our beloved country.”
Miss Adesioye, thereafter, solicited for support of the Youth Ministry to fund her pet project, PAD-A-GIRL, which she said was intended to assist young female students who often miss school during their menstrual circle because they could not afford to buy sanitary pads.