Int’l day of girl child: NACTAL commends Abiodun, raises alarm over out-of-school girls
The Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, NACTAL, in Ogun State has commended the State Government for its interventions for the girl child. It, however, raised alarm over the rising number of out-of-school street girls vulnerable to trafficking and abuse. The State Coordinator, Comrade Olufemi Olusola, in a statement issued on Sunday to mark […] Int’l day of girl child: NACTAL…
On the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) in Ogun State commended Governor Dapo Abiodun's government for its efforts in supporting girls. However, the organization raised concerns over the increasing number of girls who are out of school and at risk of trafficking and abuse.
According to Comrade Olufemi Olusola, the State Coordinator, many girls can be seen selling goods during school hours in various locations across the state, including Kuto, Sango-Ota, Ijebu-Ode, and Sagamu.
Olusola emphasized that the theme for this year's International Day of the Girl Child, "The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontline of crisis," highlights the need to view girls as leaders rather than as victims. NACTAL praised Governor Abiodun for his consistent investment in quality education, the strengthening of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the domestication of the Child Rights and VAPP Laws, and the empowerment and health initiatives for women and girls across the three senatorial districts.
However, the organization urged the government to go beyond current policies and intensify efforts to re-enroll girls who have dropped out of school, provide shelter and psychosocial support for families in need, and collaborate with traditional institutions and civil society groups to rescue and rehabilitate street girls.
NACTAL also appealed to parents, particularly mothers, to stop sending their daughters out for street hawking and to avoid early marriages. The organization emphasized that a girl child is not a burden, a hawking machine, or a bride to be sold off, but rather a future leader. They pleaded with parents not to send their daughters to hawk during school hours, to refrain from marrying them off early, and to keep them in school while their brothers attend classes.
NACTAL stressed that investing in a girl's education and protecting her from abuse will secure the future of the entire family and the state of Ogun.
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