It was a rare and symbolic moment at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. A teenage girl, Joy Ogah, sat in the seat of Nigeria’s Vice President — not as a visitor, but as Vice President for a day.
The event, held on Monday, marked this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child. It was facilitated by Plan International, an organisation that advocates gender equality and girls’ education across the world.
Ogah’s brief but inspiring takeover symbolised hope, inclusion, and the power of the girl-child in shaping Nigeria’s future.
Administration Reaffirms Commitment to Girl-Child Education
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who invited Ogah to take his seat, said the gesture reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to advancing education and leadership opportunities for Nigerian girls.
“We will continue the engagement with Plan International and see where the force and strength of government can be brought to bear on your solid advice on girl-child education,” Shettima said during the event.
He assured the delegation that President Bola Tinubu remains firmly dedicated to promoting girl-child education, with ongoing interventions such as the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
According to Shettima, well-nourished children are better equipped to learn and lead, adding that the administration’s education policy aims to create a foundation for inclusive growth.
“In President Bola Tinubu, you have an ally you can believe in and invest your trust in,” he said. “This administration is passionate and deeply committed to advancing the girl-child.”
The Vice President also described First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu as “a symbol of what a properly empowered girl-child can become”, recalling her active role in the Senate and her advocacy for education and gender equality.
‘The struggles I represent cannot end in a day’ — Joy Ogah
Sitting in the Vice President’s chair, Joy Ogah delivered a heartfelt speech that captured both pride and the urgency of the matter.
She thanked the government and Plan International for the opportunity to represent Nigerian girls, noting that over 10.5 million children in the country remain out of school — with more than 60% of them being girls.
“We must invest in education that is safe and inclusive for every child in Nigeria,” she said, her voice steady and assured.
Ogah urged authorities to enforce existing laws protecting girls’ rights and called for practical measures such as free sanitary products in schools, better access to clean water, and improved nutrition for children.
“When girls are protected, peace becomes possible,” she added. “I may be the Vice President for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day. They must continue in our policies, our classrooms, our conversations, and our budgets.”
She reminded leaders that every girl deserves not just education, but dignity and choice — “not silence.”
Partnership for empowerment and leadership inclusion
Plan International’s delegation, led by Helen Mfonobong Idiong, Director of Programme, Quality, and Innovation, praised the symbolic takeover as part of a global initiative to amplify girls’ voices in leadership spaces.
The group said its goal is to ensure that young women have platforms to engage decision-makers, influence national policies, and inspire their peers.
For many observers, the moment Joy Ogah took her seat in the nation’s second-highest office carried a deeper message — that gender equity is not a distant goal, but a vision that can be realised through deliberate action and shared responsibility.
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