By Abubakar Ahmed
Adolescent girls and young women in Bauchi State have called on the state government to prioritize inclusive and gender-responsive budgeting in the 2026 education budget.
The call was made during a town hall meeting themed “Our Voices, Our Budget: Girls Speak for Inclusive Education 2026” organized by the Young Leaders Network (YLN) in partnership with the Malala Fund on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, in Bauchi.
The forum brought together adolescent girls from the HERVoice Education Changemakers Fellowship, Adolescent Girls’ Storytelling Clubs, Girls’ Mentorship Clubs, as well as teachers, civil society representatives, influencers, and community leaders.
Executive Director of YLN, Mr. Seun Justin Onarinde, emphasized the importance of prioritizing girls’ education in budget planning and implementation.
“We believe that education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all. If girls are missing in the numbers, they will remain missing in classrooms. Education budgets are moral documents that reflect society’s priorities,” he stated.
The girls highlighted challenges hindering their access to quality education, including insufficient budgetary provisions, lack of second-chance education for adolescent mothers and married girls, and inadequate funding for menstrual hygiene programs. They also demanded more female teachers to provide mentorship and safe learning environments free from violence and harassment.
At the end of the session, the girls presented 11 key demands to the Bauchi State Government. These include the establishment of budget lines for school re-entry programmes, expanded investment in WASH facilities, recruitment of more female teachers with gender-responsive teaching skills, and stronger accountability mechanisms to ensure effective use of released funds.
The demands are aimed at addressing challenges that force many girls out of school in Bauchi, such as poverty, lack of menstrual hygiene products, and insecurity.
Although the state government is yet to respond, the girls expressed hope that their voices would be heard and acted upon.
Their demands serve as a call to action for government and stakeholders to place girls’ education at the center of policy and budgetary decisions, ensuring that no girl is left behind.
