Abakaliki, Nigeria – The Wife of the governor of Ebonyi state, Mrs Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, said she will empower 80 adolescent girls on how to navigate the rigours of life while growing up.
Mrs Nwifuru made this known on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the 2025 edition of Adolescent Girls Boot Camp programme.
The programme was organised by her pet project, Better Health For Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Foundation (BERWO), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The governor’s wife who was represented by Mrs Nkechi Echiegu, the Team Lead of BERWO, said the participants were drawn from the 13 Local Government Area (LGSs) of the state.
She stated that the participants would be educated on the evils of gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, their rights and other life skills for survival.
She said other sessions involve discussions, case studies, interactive exercises to explore the meaning and application of these values to correct some emotional unstable ones.
She explained that the sessions would help to train the minds of the girls at their adolescent stage on some of the things to expect in life and the importance of believing in themselves.
“During holidays, a lot happens and parents are quick to return children back to school. But we are using the bootcamp exercise to encourage and empower the girls to understand themselves better.
“We are going to educate them on happenings in the society and things will change a lot better in our society,” Nwifuru said.
She appreciated the UNFPA for funding the innovation.
Mr Godwin Nwogha, member of the Technical Team at BERWO, maintained that skillful patenting and molding a child’s character should begin at home.
The state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs Chinwe Okah, represented by Mrs Chinyere Ituma, Director in the ministry, expressed confidence that the innovation would equip and impact positively on participants when concluded.
She commended Mrs Nwifuru for paying the counterpart fund for the initiative, and urged participants to take advantage of the exercise to learn and educate other peers to reduce any form of violation in the society.
In their messages to the participants Mrs Felicia Nwamkpuma, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, and Mrs Elizabeth Ogodoali-Nome, Wife of Ezza-North Council Chairman, encouraged them to take advantage of the exercise and extend to others.
Benedicta Umeh, on behalf of the participants, thanked organisers of the programme and described it as an outstanding innovation.
