First Lady, Aisha Buhari has identified socio-cultural norms prevalent in the north as one of the root causes of poverty and illiteracy bedeviling the region.
She said that these socio-cultural norms and practices and economic barriers discourage attendance in schools, especially for girls.
According to her, the population of out-of-school children in the north is disheartening and must be urgently looked into.
“The case is most disheartening in the northern states where insurgency, poverty and our socio-cultural norms have played key roles in further worsening what is left of the ruins of dilapidated structures, insufficient and poorly motivated teachers at all levels,” Aisha Buhari said.
She stated this weekend at the inauguration of her pet project, Future Assured Youth Education and Empowerment Programme in Adamawa. The programme is set to train 750 young persons in the state.
The president’s wife was represented at the event by Dr. Abba Tahir, Vice-President American University of Nigeria, Yola.
Aisha Buhari said that concerted efforts must be made to address the phenomenon to mitigate the effect on the region and the nation at large.
“We cannot abandon them. We must realise that all development issues are interrelated and unless we figure out a way of addressing the root causes in education, health, nutrition, agriculture, and economic empowerment, holistically.
“We may never create a balance in our development,” she stated.
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