By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan
The Twenty-One Five Child Foundation (T1FF) has called on stakeholders to end child marriage and invest in girls’ rights to secure Nigeria’s future.
The foundation’s founder, Amb. Tolu Taiwo, made the call during a Spelling Bee Competition it organised on Wednesday in Ibadan to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the day is celebrated annually on Oct. 11 with the 2026 theme as “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”.
Taiwo described the theme as a call to action and not just a slogan.
She said the best way to invest in a girl child was to invest in her ability to read, spell, speak, and stand confidently on any stage anywhere in the world.
“When we end child marriage, we keep a girl in school.
“When we invest in girls’ rights, we invest in education, we invest in health, we invest in leadership, and we invest in the future of Nigeria,” she said.
Taiwo noted that the foundation introduced the Spelling Bee to build confidence, citing one of the judges, Roni G, as an example of a confident speaker they desire to build.
“A child who can spell can write her own future, and a girl who can speak can defend her rights,” she added.
She said the foundation had previously marked the day with competitions, including an essay competition two years ago.
“Only last year, we had an anonymous question and answer session where girls asked the deepest questions about their bodies, future and fears, answered by women leaders,” she said.
She thanked the 14 invited schools for trusting the foundation, her team, staff and volunteers with their students.
The T1FF founder enjoined the participating girls to see themselves as champions for refusing to be silent.
She encouraged them to know they have the right to education, right to dream, right to say no to child marriage and yes to their future.
Taiwo, also a cancer control advocate, used the Pink October commemoration to urge girls to be breast-aware.
Mr Taiwo Oladokun, on behalf of the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, commended T1FF for its commitment to promoting welfare, protection, education and children’s development.
Oladokun, a director in the ministry, said the day reminded everyone that girls are not merely beneficiaries of development, but important contributors to family, community and society progress.
He said the theme calls on all to protect every girl’s childhood and create opportunities for her to develop her talent and fulfil her ambition.
He encouraged girls to believe in themselves and take education seriously, noting that the Spelling Bee, beyond spelling correctly, was an opportunity to build vocabulary.
He urged them to see it as an opportunity to improve communication skills, build confidence and learn positive participation.
Oladokun identified the following as challenges hindering girls: teenage pregnancy, sexual and gender-based violence, abuse, exploitation, discrimination and child marriage.
“According to UNICEF statistics, it was revealed that 35 per cent of those under 18 still experience child marriage,” he said.
He said the Oyo State Government has prioritised the protection of vulnerable children and promoted the welfare and development of women and girls through the ministry in collaboration with stakeholders.
The Assistant Project Lead, T1FF, Miss Esther Emmanuel, said the foundation is a non-profit registered organisation committed to creating a supportive and protective community for teenagers, children and young adults.
According to her, T1FF has a vision to become the leading organisation championing the fight against unwanted teenage pregnancies and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
The mission, she said, is to support, educate and empower.
Emmanuel said the foundation has empowered nearly 100 pregnant teenagers in just three years.
She added that it sensitised over 1,500 students from more than 50 secondary schools in Ibadan with key projects.
NAN reports that the participating schools include St. Anne’s School, Eleyele High School, Lead City International High School, Fountain Option Knowledge High School, Ibadan International School, among others.
At the end of the competition, Rahma Abdullahi of Fountain Option Knowledge High School emerged as the winner.
“I feel so happy, and I’m grateful to God for helping me win this.
“I also want to thank my school and teachers for training me.
“To all girls out there, I want you to know that you can be anything you want to be.
“Don’t let anybody tell you that you cannot be what you want to be,” said Abdullahi, 15, a Senior Secondary School (SS2) student who hopes to study computer engineering at the university.
NAN
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