The National Mathematical Centre (NMC) has organised its first round mathematics competition for girl students in public junior secondary schools across the country to encourage learning of the subject.

Speaking at the programme on Friday in Abuja, the Director/Chief Executive of the Centre, Prof. Promise Mebine, said the programme was in pursuit of Sustainable development Goal 4 (SDG4) agenda.

Mebine further said that the programme is aimed at promoting healthy academic competitiveness among Nigerian girls in the study of mathematics.

“One of the Sustainable Development Goals number four and five is quality education and gender quality respectively.

“We all know in Nigeria that the girls are relegated to the background in terms of education. The males are dominating in every area.

“So the quest of NMC is to encourage, motivate and boost the girls’ interest in mathematics and equally select the best girls out of the Nigerian girls in mathematics,” he said.

While commending the federal ministry of education for the initiative, the director encouraged the state governments to cue into the programme so as to carry all the girls along.

He said that, at this first stage, the centre will select the best 120 students from each senatorial district across the federation.

“After which we have to select the best 20 from each of the states who will go for the second round from there we go for the third round before we pick the best three out of each states, bring them together to select the best of the best”.

He therefore called for spirited Nigerians as well as organisations to partner with the centre to award scholarships to the girls who would emerge the overall best in the competition.

Similarly, the permanent secretary, federal ministry of education, David Adejo, said the Federal Government, through the ministry, had shown commitment in addressing the out-of-school menace at the basic education level.

According to him, a large chunk of out-of-school children constitutes girls who are facing barriers such as child marriage, poverty and discriminatory social norms.

Represented by Mr Jude Anyikamba, director, language project/special education, Adejo noted that education of the girl-child becomes imperative.

“Education makes mothers to be more aware of their responsibilities to the children who will thrive and learn quickly when their mothers are educated.

“What we are witnessing today is one of the ways of promoting girl-child education at the basic education level and it needs to be applauded,” he said.

“The fear of mathematics has really being a phobia to all students; however, the gap between the girls and the males is very big.

“There is an argument that the girls are not at par with the males, so with this SDG for girls, we are trying to introduce girls into science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Mrs Gloria Akeredolu, the vice principal academics, JSS, Area 11, Garki, Abuja said that training of a girl-child is like training the whole nation.

“When you train a girl-child you have trained the whole nation, the community, the environment and the nation as a whole, which is why it is very necessary for us to take good care of our girls,” she said.

Mrs Fasilat Bello, the vice principal administration of the same school, said the programme would help the girls academically, morally and socially.

“Because academically they will be more sound when they are invited to attend competition like this.

“At least in mathematics especially I’m sure this programme will go a long way in improving them academically,” she added.

NAN