The Offa Grammar School (OGS) Counselling Unit, in collaboration with the Association of Professional Counsellors in Nigeria (APROCON), Kwara State Chapter, the Impact Driven Initiative for Sustainable Development (IDISD), and the Association of Ladies Pharmacists, Kwara State Branch, on Tuesday, October 15, 2025, organized a thought-provoking event to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child.
The celebration, held at Ludlow Hall, Offa Grammar School, was themed “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis.”
It drew participants from seven secondary schools in Offa, with over 100 female students in attendance. Participating schools included Offa Grammar School (Senior and Junior), Moremi High School, St. Clare’s Anglican Girls Grammar School (Senior and Junior), Daru Salam Academy, and Ansarudeen College, Offa.
The programme, anchored by Dr. Gafar Isiaka, Desk Officer for Counselling at Offa Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), began at 9 a.m. with an opening address by the Principal of Offa Grammar School (Senior Section).
The event featured a series of empowering sessions designed to enlighten and inspire the girl child on education, technology, health, and leadership.
The first presentation, “My Today & Future in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) World,” delivered by Miss Saudat Imam of IDISD, exposed the girls to opportunities in technology and innovation, urging them to embrace digital skills to thrive in a changing world.
This was followed by a mental health awareness session on “Digital Landscapes & Mental Health: Safe Spaces for Girls Online,” presented by Dr. Khadijat Magaji-Yusuf, who emphasized the importance of maintaining emotional balance and digital safety in the online space.
A representative of the Association of Ladies Pharmacists also facilitated a session titled “Medicines, My Body, My Right: Promoting Adolescent Girls’ Health Autonomy.”
She encouraged the girls to prioritize personal hygiene, understand their reproductive rights, and seek accurate health information.
The interactive question-and-answer session, moderated by Dr. Isiaka, provided an avenue for students to share their thoughts on technology, health, and self-development.
He also urged them to see themselves as agents of change capable of making a difference in their communities.
In recognition of academic brilliance, Mariam, a student of Offa Grammar School, was presented with an outstanding performance award and a Junior WAEC scholarship donated by Prince Ayannuga A. J. of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology, The Federal Polytechnic Offa.
The event also featured a Global Handwashing Day sensitization session, led by Prince Ayannuga, to promote hygiene and disease prevention among schoolgirls.
As part of the closing activities, organizers distributed menstrual hygiene products (pads) to all participants, emphasizing the importance of menstrual health management and dignity for adolescent girls.
The programme ended with a vote of thanks, group photographs, and words of encouragement to the students to keep striving for excellence and leadership.
The initiative reaffirmed the collective commitment of educators, counsellors, and health professionals in Offa to nurturing the next generation of confident, informed, and empowered girls who can lead change even in challenging times.
