By Stellamaries Amuwa, Abuja
An International Non-governmental Organization, Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora (OCI) Foundation has stated that the Bill to establish preventive measures on Sexual and Gender Based Violence into the curriculum of secondary schools in Nigeria is a major breakthrough in the fight.
In a statement, the President of the Organization, Prof. Chris Ifediora explained that the Bill would empower Nigerians to be knowledgeable about sexual violence related issues.
Ifediora said the bill, when assented to would create greater awareness on the rights of youths regarding sexual violence and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to make this a reality by assenting to the bill.
He said the bill for an act to establish preventive measures on Sexual and Gender Based Violence into School Curriculums was second to the earlier bill on the inclusion of the teachings of breast and cervical cancer in curriculum of all Secondary Schools in Nigeria.
“The Bill, which had already scaled through First (March 31) and Second Reading (July 27) this year, seeks to introduce Preventive Measures and Teachings of Anti-Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) into the Civic Education Curriculum of all Secondary Schools in Nigeria (JSS 1 to SSS 1)”.
It is being sponsored by Hon. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education (and Member representing the Owan Federal Constituency in the Nigerian NASS
OCI Foundation is grateful to her NASS Liaison Officer, Vivian Obinwa (Esq), the prime architect of this initiative, for her doggedness towards getting this Bill to its stage. She represented the OCI Foundation at the event, along with Mrs Ebele Udechukwu, an Abuja-based Advocacy Team member of the Foundation.
The OCI Foundation also thanks Dele Ahamisi (Esq), for his role in this Bill.
The SGBV Bill is the second legislation that has been successfully pushed through this stage by the OCI Foundation, an international (Australian-Nigerian) NGO that promotes Health, Education, and Social/Public Welfare among Nigerians. The First Bill, which also went through Public Reading on September 29th and 30th, 2022, seeks to include teachings against breast and cervical cancers into the curriculum of all senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
