In a remarkable turn of events, 16-year-old gender activist Isabel Anani took over as Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives to lead a special session celebrating International Day of the Girl Child.
Vanguard reports that this is the very first time in the history of the House of Representatives that a Speaker would step aside to provide a non-member of the House the opportunity to lead the plenary.
Members of parliament were shocked on Thursday when Speaker Hon. Abbas Tajudeen announced the entrance of Anani, who was accompanied by female students from schools in the Federal Capital Territory, to conduct the proceedings. The event was organized by Plan International Nigeria, a non-governmental and advocacy organization.
Before leaving his seat, Speaker Abbas introduced Anani and the other girls in the chamber, calling her “our Speaker for the Day.”
He described her as “a remarkable young leader and a Girl Advocate for Gender Equality. She is also the youngest member of the Technical Working Group for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing in Nigeria as well as a UNICEF Young Influencer.”
The Speaker added, “Isabel was chosen for this prestigious role after emerging first among candidates across Nigeria, following an open call and a rigorous interview process.”
Anani, in her position as the ‘Shadow Speaker,’ presided over the presentation of a motion by the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, titled “Commemoration of the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child.”
After unanimously adopting the motion, Anani and the House resolved to urge stakeholders to work with schools, community organizations, and religious institutions to educate the public about the dangers of drug abuse, encourage a drug-free lifestyle, and provide for rehabilitation.
Anani and the House also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce mobile education units or community outreach programs to educate out-of-school girls throughout the 36 states of the federation. The House further urged the National Assembly leadership to ensure the amendment of the Child’s Rights Act to protect children who have experienced sexual abuse while giving the relevant ministries the legislative support they need in the form of budgetary approvals. The leadership of the National Assembly was further urged to rapidly pass legislation that aims to protect women and girls, such as the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB).
Anani, who won the Girl Takeover Initiative and recently received university admission to study engineering, addressed the House, saying, “For me, I envision a future where every girl, regardless of where she comes from, has an opportunity to flourish; where education isn’t seen as a high-pedestal privilege, but as an essential tool to equip girls to make important decisions that affect them and, ultimately, the places they come from.”
“I want a future where we don’t have to combat all the overwhelming experiences of childhood and adolescence alone; where girls aren’t discriminated because of their bodily functions, and are encouraged when they want to take firm hold of the mantle in places like STEM and politics and feel safe, feel wanted.”
The theme of the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child, which fell on Friday, was “Girls’ vision for the future.”
“This year’s theme conveys both the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls’ voices and vision for the future,” the United Nations said.
“It is time to listen to girls, to invest in proven solutions that will accelerate progress towards a future in which every girl can fulfil her potential,” it added.
