Lagos APC Deputy Candidate Advocates for Girls' Education

On October 10, Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, delivered a keynote address at an event in Otto-Ijanikin to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child. She urged schoolgirls to prioritize their education over early marriage, stating that every girl-child deserves “a book, not a wedding ring.” Sonayon-James called for concrete actions to safeguard young girls, advocating for initiatives that keep them in school, provide scholarships, and promote skills training.

She expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and Senator Oluremi Tinubu for their support of girl-child education, referencing the Alternative High School for Girls initiative. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, also spoke, emphasizing the need for legislative action and funding to combat child marriage, which she described as a human rights violation.

She cited a UNICEF report indicating that 33.4 percent of young women in Nigeria were married before age 18.