By PATRICIA AMOGU
Little Miss Nigeria, Queen Angelica Ituma, has called on the Federal Government to collaborate with her office to set up an inclusive education facility.
She made the call on Thursday in Abuja while on a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.
“Such collaboration will help us to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) No. 16,” she stated.
MDG 16 states that educating all children, including children with disabilities, is a fundamental way to eradicating poverty, boost shared prosperity and enhance inter-generational equity.
According to the 12 year-old, setting up a pilot scheme of inclusive education facility will serve as a model and will benefit children with special needs.
“The scheme shall, by extension, be a clarion call for the implementation of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (prohibition) Act, 2018 in both public and private schools.
“This will help us as a nation to be on the right track in the quest to eradicate poverty, boost shared prosperity and enhance inter-generational equity.
“This project will enable us to discover, develop and empower the various potentials that abound in this class of Nigerians and help them to contribute their part in nation building instead of being a menace to our society.
“As the little Miss Nigeria, I have lent my voice to the campaign for the implementation of the child right act across the Federation.
“I have used my spoken word advocacy to campaign against all forms of violence against children, child labour, child trafficking, child bride, out of school children, child street hawking and other child right-related matters,” she said.
Ituma applauded the minister for the various positive changes he had brought into the educational system while also soliciting support for her pet project tagged ‘’Kids got talent.”
“I am a product of multiple talents and so are most Nigerian children. So, I want to raise more voices and child stars like me.
“To achieve this, I am soliciting for your support and collaboration in my pet project. It is a talent hunt initiative that will help us to discover and explore the numerous talents that abound among Nigerian children.
“it will involve exhibition of their best creative works in art, craft, technology, invention spoken word, music, dance, mime, and any other display of creativity.
“This will progress through the Local Government stage and State with the grand finale at the national level.
“We need to design an educational system that will be able to train employers of labour and this can only be possible through emphasis on talents and skills development.
“That a child is not good in English language and mathematics does not make him a “never-do’well student. It rather means that his areas of interest is yet to be discovered.
“A wise man once said ‘Give a child a job he/she likes doing, and she will end up not working all through his/her life time,” she said
10 contestants made it to the grand finale in Lagos, for the 4th edition of the pageant, where 11-year-old Miss Angelica, representing FCT, was crowned little Miss Nigeria on Dec. 13, 2019.
The office of little Miss Nigeria is under the supervision of the Nigerian Children Ambassadors.
NAN