A child rights advocate who survived abuse as a girl has told students in Abuja to break their silence. Ambassador Joyce Akubueze said threats once kept her quiet, and she does not want other girls to go through the same.
She spoke at “Her Rights, Her Voice, Her Future,” an event held by Olumawu School for students across the Federal Capital Territory. It marked the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
A Survivor’s Message
Akubueze founded the Elites Visionary Foundation for Educational Equity and Empowerment (ELVIFEE). She told the students she was sexually abused as a child and left school at 15 as a result. Her abusers warned her to stay silent. She later went back to class and rebuilt her life.
“When they say keep quiet, that is the time to make noise,” she told the girls.
She also gave practical advice. Girls in danger should turn to a trusted adult, a teacher, a relative or a child protection group. Parents, she noted, cannot solve every problem alone.
Two other advocates, Ifeanyichukwu F. Ifeoma and Emree M. B. Jonah, also took part. They urged students to know their rights and to challenge gender bias.
What the School Is Doing
The principal, Rotimi Jiboku, said Olumawu School is tightening its child safeguarding rules. Students can now file anonymous complaints through drop boxes. The school also held a Safeguarding Week, in which girls served as safeguarding officers.
He added that staff step in when a student’s problem begins at home. They speak with parents and look for a fix.
Education as the Way Forward
Jonah leads the Emree Mondiale Foundation. He told the girls to take their studies seriously, learn useful skills and hold on to strong values.
“No one can build your future for you but you,” he said.
Students React
Two students, Aliya Abdulrahman and Akinteye Israel Olatide, said the event changed how they view gender stereotypes.
Abdulrahman once lost a public-speaking slot to a boy. That hurt, she said, and it made her want to build safe spaces where girls can speak freely.
Olatide, one of the boys present, called for more support for women in leadership. Several of his aunts missed school while his male relatives attended, he said. “I hope it won’t be the same for girls and women of this generation,” he added.
Nineteen students also received the Rising Amazon Award and the Creative Excellence Award. The prizes recognised leadership potential and creative work in their schools. Emree Mondiale Foundation was the main supporter of the programme.
