By Francis Ajuonuma
Worried over the gradual fading of morals among the younger generation in the country, the wife of the Lagos State governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has called on Olave Baden-Powell Society to sustain and expand the activities of the Nigerian Girl Guides Association (NGGA), across the state.
Sanwo-Olu advised while speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the OB-PS, Nigeria, and NGGA organised parley, themed: Making Impact through Girls Guide, held at the weekend in Lagos.
The parley which took place at the Methodist Girls High School, Yaba, Lagos was to support and showcase young girls in the communities making HUGE IMPACT through GIRLS GUIDING.
The Lagos State First Lady explains that engaging the young generation in activities of the Girl Guides movement, as well as the Boys Scouts will help in the positive development of the state’s human capital and reduce the moral decadency among the youths.
She acknowledged OB-PS for its positive impact on the youths in the state and Nigeria in general and challenged parent to encourage their children to join the movement.
“It gives me the joy to identify with members of Olave Baden -Powell Society at this parley, specially organised to improve the enrolment of girls in the Nigerian Girl Guides Association and further showcase girls in our communities doing exceptionally well.
“I consider the rationale behind this reputable association of distinguished and highly successful individuals as a good step in the right direction. The spirit of championing the well-being of our girls through tutelage and mentorship is commendable.
“Let me sincerely commend and applaud your efforts and consistency in supporting the mission of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts (white) to enable girls and young women to develop their full potential as responsible citizens for themselves, their families, and the world at large.
“To me what OB-PS represents is belief in self-worth and dignity in labour which is the hallmark of good upbringing. It’s a fact any investment in the young generation will ultimately have a positive impact on families, communities, and the world at large.
“Let me stress that Girl Guides, and Girls Scouts among other important roles, help girls to develop their full potential with increasing understanding, skills, and respect and also assist in providing the foundation for sound decision-making, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.
“As an advocate for girls and women, this initiative that has already been embraced in some of our public schools across the state must be sustained and expanded to become bigger, bolder, better, and greater in all our collective interest.
“At this crucial period in our society when the value attached to good morals is gradually fading away due to civilisation and westernisation, the need to give direction to the younger generation of girls is no doubt a good step in the right direction,” the Lagos First Lady added.
Speaking on the impact the Nigerian Girl Guides has had in community development, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in Lagos State, Jamiu Tolani Alli Balogun, revealed his ministry’s plan to accommodate girl guiding in the extra curriculum activities of schools in Lagos State.
“It’s about re-launch and we’re putting everything in place to ensure that we bring back life in our various schools, not only in public schools but we’ll also encourage the private schools as well. It has become important to have the activities of the Girl Guides in the schools’ extra curriculum.
“We want to encourage the parents to embrace it and allow their girls to be part of it,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire commended the collaboration of the Nigerian Girl Guides Association (NGGA) and Olave Baden-Powell Society (OB-PS) in reviving the Girl Guides movement in Nigeria.
“The essence of all of this is to take young girls through the process and guide them. When we were young, we went through the process and it has moulded us, built us and built our characters, built our knowledge, made us more focused, and because of lack of opportunity something like this has made our young girls, in particular, more vulnerable.
“So, we’ve gone back to bases. And we’re going to encourage them for what we have learnt must be transferred to them and build them for the future,” she said.
Chief Commissioner Nigerian Girl Guides Association, Deaconess Rhoda Olufunmilola Thomas, who also spoke at the event, acknowledged the supportive role OB-PS has played in the development of NGGA.
“The purpose of this programme is to collaborate with OB-PS. It’s an international organisation; that raises funds to support the training of Guides all over the world. So, we are reawakening the collaboration between NGGA and OB-PS,” she said while expressing disappointment in the decline in the Girl Guides movement.
“I’m not too well satisfied with the membership of girl guides in the country. Some parents are cooperating, some are not. Some of them are saying they have no money, while some think it’s a waste of time. But we can understand it’s an orientation that the parents need and more of advocacy and we are working on it,” she added.
OB-PS Vice President, Ekua Akinsanya, revealed that Nigerians have benefited a lot from the body’s programmes like empowerment that have changed their lives for the better, insisting that Girl Guiding offers a lot of opportunities that can be explored by the girl child.
According to her OB-PS gives a lot of support to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts (WAGGS) to ensure that they carry out their activities and programmes.
“OB-PS are supporting over 10 million girls all over the world and what we do is we give WAGGS money in support of training programmes, leadership programmes, talks against child marriage, stop violence against women, genital mutilation and recently campaign about the environment.
“This particular programme is because we noticed that guiding in Nigeria has reduced drastically and this is because we moved away from value for things that bring quick, quick reward. So, we urge parents to allow their girls to join the guides,” she said.
