FOMWAN Tasks Parents On girls’ Education And Moral Upbringing
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Kaduna State chapter, has called on parents to invest in the education and moral upbringing of girls, saying the benefits extend beyond individual families to the wider society.
The association also stressed the need for parents to pay closer attention to their daughters’ health, emotional well-being and personal development to prepare them for the challenges of adulthood.
The Amira of FOMWAN in Kaduna State, Nafisa Isa, made the call on Monday during an event organised to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child at the Fulman Memorial Institute, Kaduna.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that the theme for the programme was “Empowering the Girl Child Through Education, Moral Values and Health for a Resilient and Developed Kaduna State.”
Isa said the programme was designed to encourage conversations among parents, girls and other stakeholders on the barriers limiting the development of the girl child.
She explained that the association considered it important to bring parents and their daughters together so that lessons from the discussions could influence decisions and practices within individual homes.
“We invited the girls and their parents so that whatever they learn here will not end with the seminar. The girls can remind their parents of what they have learnt, while the parents can also make efforts to improve the way they raise their daughters,” she said.
Isa noted that despite growing awareness about girls’ education, some challenges continued to affect their access to opportunities, especially in Northern Nigeria.
She said FOMWAN would continue to use its platform to sensitise women and families, adding that meaningful progress required collective action by parents, communities and relevant stakeholders.
In a presentation on empowering the girl child, the Director of the Centre for Girls Education, Habiba Muhammad, represented by Habiba Lawal, said the belief that educating girls was a waste of resources had gradually given way to greater appreciation of its benefits.
She said some families in the past were reluctant to educate their daughters because they believed the girls would eventually get married and leave their parental homes.
However, she said increased awareness had helped more people understand that educating a girl was an investment in the future of the family and society.
Muhammad emphasised that girls needed more than formal education, urging parents to instill moral values and equip their daughters with practical skills to become independent and contribute to society.
She said the values children displayed were often influenced by the environment in which they were raised.
“When a girl is educated, she can pass positive moral values to her children. Whatever a child does is often a reflection of what happens at home,” she said.
The director urged parents to empower their daughters with skills that could help them become self-reliant, noting that such preparation would also enable them to contribute to addressing challenges within their families.
She stressed that raising confident and capable girls required parents to provide opportunities for learning, personal growth and responsible decision-making.
Another speaker, Hauwa Yusuf, urged parents not to overlook the importance of adequate sleep and play in their children’s development.
Yusuf said children needed time to rest, play and engage in activities appropriate for their age, noting that such experiences were important for their growth and brain development.
She also advised parents to be patient and attentive when their children complained of illness or other difficulties.
According to her, dismissing children’s concerns could discourage them from speaking openly with their parents when they needed help.
She said building trust through patience and effective communication would enable parents to understand their children’s needs and provide appropriate support.
The speakers called for sustained efforts to promote girls’ education, healthy development and moral upbringing, stressing that families had a critical role to play in preparing girls to contribute meaningfully to development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event brought together parents, young people, women and resource persons to discuss issues affecting girls, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
