By Florence Joshua
A former Multi-Country Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Dr Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba, has called for increased investment in girls’ education, urging parents and government to dismantle barriers that prevent girls from achieving their full potential.
Charles-Monwuba made the call in Abuja on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during the public presentation of her memoir, Grace and Grit: My Journey of Faith, Purpose and Leadership, organised to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
She identified the provision of schools within accessible distances and adequate sanitary materials as practical measures to encourage girls to remain in school, complete their education and pursue their aspirations.
The memoir chronicles her journey from a challenging childhood, including her escape from child marriage, to a distinguished career spanning public health, international development and institutional leadership.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Strategy, Innovation and Impact at Social Development Action-Trust (SDAT), Amina Baba Manu, highlighted the far-reaching consequences of illiteracy, noting that northern Nigeria bears a significant burden of its effects.
Manu urged government to strengthen its commitment to education and create opportunities for girls to develop their abilities, irrespective of their social and economic backgrounds.
She also emphasised the importance of parental support, particularly the role of fathers in shaping their daughters’ futures, calling on them to become their daughters’ first advocates by encouraging their educational pursuits and ambitions.
Similarly, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Charles Usie, stressed the need for fathers to take an active role in supporting their daughters and promoting the rights of the girl child.
In her remarks, Charles-Monwuba said she wrote the memoir to inspire young women to pursue their dreams regardless of their backgrounds and encourage parents to invest in the education and economic empowerment of girls.
She reiterated that addressing practical challenges, including long distances to schools and inadequate access to sanitary materials, was essential to improving girls’ educational outcomes.
The public presentation was organised by SDAT as part of activities to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child. According to the organisers, the event’s theme was “Ending Child Marriage and Investing in Girls’ Rights.”
Charles-Monwuba is the immediate past Multi-Country Director and Representative of UNOPS to The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. She also previously served as Country Director of ActionAid in Senegal.
Through Grace and Grit, she reflects on faith, resilience, family, leadership and the challenges of balancing professional ambitions with personal responsibilities.
The event underscored the need for concerted action by families, government and development partners to expand access to education, protect girls from harmful practices and empower them to build independent and fulfilling lives.
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