The Association of Lady Pharmacists, Plateau State chapter, on Friday, intensified its campaign against child marriage as it commemorated the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child in Jos.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the occasion, Mrs Dorathy Sunday Biggs, decried the rising cases of child marriage in the society and called for collective action to protect the girl child.
Mrs Biggs said, “The girl child is full of potential but child marriage cuts short her dreams. We must all rise as mothers, as a community and as a state to say no to this practice. An educated girl becomes an empowered woman who will contribute to the development of Plateau and Nigeria.”
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission and Special Adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Gender, Mrs Olivia Dazyam, commended the Association of Lady Pharmacists for championing the rights of girls and reiterated government’s commitment to ending gender-based vices.
Dazyam said, “The administration of Governor Caleb Mutfwang is committed to protecting the rights of every girl child in Plateau State. Child marriage is not culture. It is a violation of rights. We have laws in place and we will continue to enforce them while investing in education and health for our girls. I commend ALPs for this advocacy.”
Also speaking, the Chairperson, Association of Lady Pharmacists, Plateau State chapter, Dr Lydia Doosuur Ior, said the commemoration was aimed at amplifying the voices of girls and drawing attention to challenges confronting them.
Dr Ior said, “As Lady Pharmacists, we are not only concerned about drugs , we are concerned about the total well-being of the girl child. This year’s theme is a call to action. Ending child marriage is investing in the future. When you keep a girl in school and keep her healthy, you secure the future of a generation. That is why we are here today to mentor and support them.”
On her part, the Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Mrs Obiageli Eze-Ugonna, said the distribution of pads was to promote menstrual hygiene and keep girls in school.
Eze-Ugonna said, “Many girls miss school because they cannot afford sanitary pads and this exposes them to vulnerability and early marriage. By providing over 300 girls with pads today and educating them on their reproductive health, we are telling them that their dignity matters. We want them to stay in school, speak up and dream big.”
Our correspondent reports that the event, held at the Rochas Foundation College, Jos, and which had as its theme: “End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls’ Rights” attracted the participation of no less than seven schools from across the state.
It also attracted dignitaries, including officials from the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, among others.
Highlights of the event included spoken word poetry, health talks and distribution of sanitary pads to over 300 school girls by the organisers.