Edo: Foundation summit targets trafficking risks, education for 1,000 girls

By Chioma Obinna

A planned summit for 1,000 secondary-school girls in Edo State will focus on human-trafficking prevention, menstrual-health access, digital skills and school-to-career opportunities. This comes as Nigeria confronts persistent concerns over girls’ safety, educational attainment and economic inclusion.

The Edo 1000 Girls Summit, organised by the Emmanuel Osemota Foundation (EOF), is scheduled for November 20 at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin City. It is on the theme, “Invest in a Girl. Power the Future. Protect Her Freedom.”

The Edo State First Lady, Edesili Okpebholo Anani is expected to deliver the keynote address, with a focus on safeguarding girls’ rights, strengthening support systems and encouraging female leadership.

The summit is designed as a one-day intervention bringing together students from across the state for mentorship, practical learning sessions, health information and access to educational resources.

Organisers said the programme will combine public awareness with direct support, including planned laptop and scholarship awards.

Human trafficking awareness will be a central part of the event. Edo has long been a focal point in national conversations about irregular migration and trafficking, making prevention education for adolescent girls particularly significant.

He said participants would receive information on recognising deceptive recruitment tactics, reporting concerns and reducing vulnerability to exploitation.

The sessions are also expected to address peer-to-peer awareness, encouraging girls to identify and discuss warning signs within their schools and communities.

“Hosting 1,000 secondary school girls under one roof represents a critical operational milestone for our foundation,” said Emmanuel Osemota, founder of the Emmanuel Osemota Foundation.

“By combining grassroots advocacy with high-level institutional partnerships, we are equipping these young women with the tools, digital competencies and safety awareness they need to build safer, stronger futures,” he said.

Beyond trafficking prevention, the summit will address menstrual health and hygiene, an issue organisers said can disrupt attendance and learning where girls lack information, privacy or access to sanitary products.

The programme will also include leadership and personal-development sessions intended to build confidence, civic awareness and long-term planning skills. A separate education and career track will promote digital literacy, academic achievement and pathways into further education and employment.

The Director-General of the Edo State Tourism Agency, Lady Vivian Elabor will speak on leadership, self-development and economic opportunities for young women.

Sally Suleiman, special adviser on Sustainable Development Goals to the Edo State Government, is expected to discuss education and career routes linked to broader development targets.

The initiative comes as governments, schools, civil-society organisations and development partners increasingly emphasise the need to keep girls in school, protect them from gender-based risks and prepare them for a technology-driven economy.

While the summit is being held in Edo, its core concerns extend beyond the state: access to education, reproductive-health information, safe migration awareness and digital inclusion remain central to Nigeria’s wider effort to improve outcomes for girls and young women.

The summit will include panel discussions, essay and quiz competitions, mentoring activities and scholarship announcements intended to support participants beyond the event itself.