PUBLIC LECTURE TO COMMEMORATE THE 2026 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD

 Here's the text of the public lecture I was to deliver physically on Friday but was unable to, due to an unforeseen circumstance 

PUBLIC LECTURE TO COMMEMORATE THE 2026 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD

Theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”

Protocols,

Let me begin with a question.

If a 13-year-old girl tells you, “I want to become a medical doctor,” what should we do?

Should we tell her, “That is too big for a girl like you”?

Should we tell her to forget the dream because her family cannot afford it?

Should we tell her that her greatest achievement should be getting married as soon as possible?

Or should we look at that young girl and say:

“Keep dreaming. Keep learning. Keep growing. Your future is worth investing in.”

That is the heart of today's conversation.

Every year on 11 October, the world observes the International Day of the Girl Child. The 2026 theme is “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!” The United Nations reminds us that every girl deserves the freedom to learn, grow, make choices and shape her future.

THE GIRL SITTING BESIDE YOU MAY BE A FUTURE LEADER

Look around this school.

The girl sitting beside you may one day become a doctor who saves lives.

She may become a scientist who discovers something that changes Nigeria.

She may become an engineer who designs roads, bridges or machines.

She may become a teacher who changes hundreds of lives.

She may become an entrepreneur who employs people.

She may become a lawyer, journalist, farmer, programmer, artist, military officer, policymaker or community leader.

Or she may become something that nobody in this room has imagined yet.

That is the beauty of potential: you cannot always see what is inside a person by looking at where that person is today.

A schoolgirl is not “just a schoolgirl.”

She is a possibility.

She is a future.

She is a story still being written.

And that is why we must be careful about anything that prematurely closes the book of her life.

WHAT IS CHILD MARRIAGE REALLY TAKING AWAY?

When we hear the expression child marriage, some people simply think about a young person becoming somebody's wife.

The issue is deeper than that.

Imagine a girl who loves Biology.

She wants to become a medical doctor.

She is doing well in school.

She has dreams.

She has friends.

She is beginning to discover who she is.

Then suddenly, somebody says:

“Your education ends here. You are getting married.”

What happens to the dream?

What happens to the education?

What happens to the girl who was still discovering herself?

What happens to the future doctor, scientist, teacher or entrepreneur she could have become?

That is why child marriage is not merely about changing a girl's marital status. It can interrupt her education, restrict her choices, expose her to risks and reduce her opportunity to develop her full potential.

And this is not a distant problem that has nothing to do with Nigeria.

UNICEF reported that child marriage remains a major challenge in Nigeria, with the burden particularly affecting poorer households, rural communities and girls with little or no education. More recent evidence also shows a strong relationship between completing secondary school and delaying marriage.

So when we fight child marriage, we are not fighting marriage.

We are saying:

Let childhood be childhood.

Let education be education.

Let growth take its natural course.

Let a girl have the opportunity to become the best version of herself before taking on adult responsibilities.

GIRLS, YOUR DREAMS ARE NOT TOO BIG

To every girl listening to me today:

Please don't allow anyone to convince you that your dream is too big because you are a girl.

You can be intelligent.

You can be curious.

You can ask questions.

You can lead.

You can speak.

You can create.

You can learn technology.

You can enter spaces where women were previously underrepresented.

You can become excellent.

Do not reduce yourself to fit somebody else's limited imagination of what a girl should become.

However, empowerment does not mean doing whatever we like.

Real empowerment means having knowledge, discipline, confidence, good character and the ability to make responsible decisions.

Don't allow social media to become your classroom and strangers on the internet to become your teachers.

Don't measure your worth by likes, followers, expensive clothes or the attention you receive from boys or men.

Your value is greater than your appearance.

Your future is greater than today's applause.

Build your mind. Build your character. Build your skills. Build your confidence.

A beautiful face may attract attention.

An educated and disciplined mind can create a future.

AND TO THE BOYS: THIS CONVERSATION IS ALSO YOURS

Some boys may be sitting here thinking, “This is a girls' programme.”

No.

This is also your conversation.

One day, some of you will become husbands, fathers, teachers, employers, community leaders and decision-makers.

The way you treat girls today is helping to shape the kind of man you will become tomorrow.

A girl is not your property.

A female classmate is not somebody you should intimidate because you want to prove that you are a man.

A girl's “no” is not an invitation to pressure her.

A girl who is academically brilliant is not “too proud.”

A girl who wants to become a leader is not “trying to behave like a man.”

Strong boys do not destroy girls' confidence. Strong boys help create an environment where girls can thrive.

If you see a girl being bullied, harassed or sexually pressured, don't join the crowd.

Stand up.

If your friends make jokes that humiliate girls, challenge them.

If somebody tries to exploit a vulnerable girl, don't become an accomplice.

Real manhood is not domination. Real strength includes responsibility.

PARENTS, TEACHERS AND COMMUNITIES HAVE A ROLE

Students, there is another important question:

Who is responsible for protecting the girl child?

The answer is: all of us.

Parents must understand that educating a daughter is not wasting money.

Teachers must create classrooms where girls can participate, ask questions and develop confidence.

Communities must question traditions and practices that put children at risk.

Government must strengthen education, protection and social-support systems.

Religious and traditional leaders must use their influence to protect children and challenge harmful practices.

And girls themselves must be given a voice in decisions that affect their lives.

Nigeria cannot keep saying that children are our future while making decisions today that damage that future.

EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT PASSING EXAMINATIONS

Students, let me tell you something important.

Your education is bigger than WAEC.

It is bigger than NECO.

It is bigger than getting admission into a university.

Education should teach you how to think.

How to ask questions.

How to solve problems.

How to communicate.

How to recognise danger.

How to use technology responsibly.

How to distinguish opportunity from exploitation.

How to make wise decisions.

How to understand your rights and responsibilities.

How to stand on your feet when life becomes difficult.

A girl who remains in school is gaining more than certificates.

She is gaining choices.

And choices matter.

DO NOT TRADE YOUR FUTURE FOR PRESENT PRESSURE

To every young person here, there will be moments when somebody offers you something that looks attractive today but could damage your tomorrow.

Someone may say:

“Come and make quick money.”

“Forget school.”

“Everybody is doing it.”

“Just follow me.”

“Nobody will know.”

“Your parents will never find out.”

“Why suffer when you can get what you want now?”

Students, learn to ask one powerful question:

“What will this decision cost my future?”

Not everything that gives you pleasure today will give you peace tomorrow.

Not every opportunity is a good opportunity.

Not everybody who says, “I love you,” actually loves you.

Not everybody who offers you money wants your success.

Wisdom is knowing that some doors should remain closed.

YOUR FUTURE NEEDS YOU

Let us imagine Nigeria twenty years from now.

Who will be running our hospitals?

Who will teach our children?

Who will develop our technology?

Who will conduct scientific research?

Who will manage our businesses?

Who will build our communities?

Who will make important decisions?

You will.

That means what happens to you today matters.

Your attendance matters.

Your books matter.

Your friendships matter.

Your habits matter.

Your choices matter.

Your treatment of others matters.

And for the girls among us, your dreams matter.

Nigeria does not need girls who are merely protected from harm.

Nigeria needs girls who are educated, confident, skilled, responsible and prepared to lead.

A CHALLENGE TO EVERY STUDENT

So, on this International Day of the Girl Child, I want every student here to leave with five questions.

What kind of person am I becoming?

What talent am I developing?

What bad influence must I reject?

What can I do to help another young person succeed?

And finally:

What future am I preparing myself for?

Don't wait until you become an adult before you begin preparing for adulthood.

Don't wait until you become a leader before you begin learning leadership.

Don't wait until you have a job before you begin developing skills.

Don't wait until you become a parent before you learn how to respect people.

The future is not something that suddenly happens to you. You are preparing for it every day.

LET HER GROW

To the girl who thinks she is not good enough:

You are still growing.

To the girl who failed an examination:

Failure is not your final name. Learn, improve and try again.

To the girl who has been told that girls cannot achieve certain things:

Do not surrender your future to somebody else's limitation.

To the girl facing difficult circumstances at home:

Your circumstances may explain where you are, but they do not have to determine where you will end up. Seek help from trusted adults and keep moving forward.

And to every boy here:

Use your strength to protect, not to intimidate. Use your intelligence to uplift, not to manipulate. Use your influence to open doors, not to shut them.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear students,

A girl should not have to choose between childhood and marriage, education and survival, safety and opportunity, dignity and acceptance.

She deserves the opportunity to grow.

She deserves to learn.

She deserves to dream.

She deserves protection.

She deserves a voice.

She deserves a future.

And our responsibility is not merely to tell her, “You are the future.”

Our responsibility is to make sure that when that future arrives, she is prepared to lead it.

So let us remember the message of this year's International Day of the Girl Child:

End child marriage. Invest in girls' rights. Protect childhood. Protect education. Protect potential.

Because when we save a girl's future, we are not saving only one life.

We are protecting a teacher we may need tomorrow.

A scientist we may need tomorrow.

A doctor we may need tomorrow.

A mother we may need tomorrow.

A leader we may need tomorrow.

A nation-builder we may need tomorrow.

Let her learn.

Let her grow.

Let her dream.

Let her lead.

Nigeria's future is sitting in our classrooms today.

Thank you.

I want you to stand up and declare boldly:

I am courageous;

I am smart;

I am brilliant ;

I can achieve whatever I set my mind on to;

What if I didn't get it right? 

I won't give up until I get it right;

I won't give up until I push through.'

Dr Femi Abiola, MCE 

Charismatic Leader | Eloquent Orator | Scholar | Researcher | Industrial Microbiologist | Education Administrator | ICT Trainer | Public Lecturer | Speechwriter | Communicator | Mentor | Motivator | Humanitarian | Youth, Education , Community & Leadership Development Advocate | Girl Child Empowerment Advocate | Deputy Country Director, Nigeria - The Edventure International | Founder and President, Project Youth Fulfil (PYoF)