Transnational Corporation Plc, through its power subsidiaries, Transcorp Power Plc, Ughelli, and Transafam Power Limited, Afam, hosted girls from Transcorp Power School, Ughelli, and Transafam Power Schools, Afam, to advocate for investment in girls’ rights as the world commemorates the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child. In line with this year’s theme,
“End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”, the session linked girls’ rights to education, confidence, ambition, leadership, and opportunity. Around the world, about one in five girls is married before her 18th birthday. West and Central Africa is described as the global centre of child marriage, with nearly 60 million women and girls in the region married as children, and Nigeria accounts for the largest share. An earlier United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimate put the country’s number of child brides at about 22 million. For each of these girls, early marriage too often means an end to schooling, risky early pregnancy, and a future decided by others. Speaking during the session, President/Group Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Group,
Owen D. Omogiafo, OON, told the girls that there is no limit to what they can achieve. Drawing on her own journey, she shared that she was not born with a silver spoon but rose to lead one of Africa’s foremost business groups through tenacity, focus and determination. “You are not too young to have a voice, and you are not too young to have a dream. Nobody should decide your future for you. You have a right to choose your own path, so start painting the portrait of where you want to be in the future; and then work hard to get there.”