By Zainab Faruk
The First Lady of Bauchi State, Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed, has reaffirmed her commitment to empowering youth and women through equitable access to education and digital opportunities, stressing that no girl should be denied the right to learn, grow, and lead.
She made the pledge while delivering a keynote address at a Special Educational Forum organised by the National Union of Bauchi State Students (NUBASS) in Bauchi, with the theme “Empowering the Future: Fostering Inclusive Education and Digital Opportunities.”
Hajiya Aisha, who also serves as the Ambassador for Adolescent Girls’ Education (AGILE), commended NUBASS for what she described as a timely and thoughtful initiative. She said the choice of theme aligns perfectly with ongoing efforts by the Bauchi State Government to promote inclusive and equitable learning, especially for girls in rural and underserved communities.
The First Lady highlighted poverty and gender bias as key barriers to education, noting that her office and partners are working tirelessly to address these challenges while ensuring safer schools and bridging the rural-urban gap.
Speaking on the importance of digital inclusion, Hajiya Aisha recalled establishing the Almuhibbah Open University, the Almuhibbah Institute of ICT and Entrepreneurship, and the Almuhibbah Certiport Centre to provide accessible, flexible, and world-class digital education.
“These platforms are designed for you, the youth and women of Bauchi and Nigeria, to learn global skills, build careers, and become job creators,” she said.
She urged students to see themselves not only as beneficiaries of change but as drivers of transformation, calling for a united effort to build a Bauchi State where knowledge is a right, digital access is universal, and no dream is too big to achieve.
The event brought together students, educators, and stakeholders in the education sector, with participants pledging to work towards greater innovation and inclusion in the state’s educational landscape.