By THERESA MOSES

A governorship aspirant in Benue State, Dr. Jeffrey Kuraun, has called on the girl child living in an era where they have to fight for a position among the male folks, to try and advance their knowledge in areas that would make them stand out in their academics and careers in the future.

He spoke at a one-day conference and advocacy summit organised by the African Youth Union Commission in partnership with the Nigeria Police, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and other organizations to mark the International Day of the Girl Child on Monday October 18, 2021 in Abuja.

Speaking on the need to encourage the girl child to embrace digitalization, Dr. Kuraun said: “I am here in so many capacities. I am first and foremost a father, not just a father but the father of a girl child, whose present and future means a lot to me.

”Therefore, it is predictable that whatever I am going to tell you now is not different from what I would tell my daughter given the same situation. I am also here in my capacity as someone who understands the importance of digitalization because I have been exposed to it for a long time now.

“If there is anytime you need to understand and make use of digitalization, it is now. As girls growing up in a fast changing world, you need to gather information from all over the world and appropriately apply them in your own environment or be left behind where you do the contrary.”

According to Kuraun, “Digitalization is the embracing of technology that would enable you to solve problems easily, using devices like the personal computer, laptops, palm tops, tablets, android phones and iPhones.

“It doesn’t stop there; with these devices, connecting them to the internet, which is more like one very big and centralized computer, generating information from every field of life, which you are expected to apply in your daily activities, is the icing on the cake.

“Now, the next question should be, what type of information are you expected to look out for as you embrace digitalization? As girls living in an era where you have to fight for a position among the male folks, you should try as much as possible to advance your knowledge in areas that would make you stand out in your academics and careers in future.

“Getting connected, he noted that used to a global information bank like the internet should give you an edge over others, and thereby giving no room for any form of intimidation and clogging of spaces meant for the girl child now and in future” he said.

However, the governorship aspirant, for Benue 2023 warned the girl child “not to get distracted by other types of information they are exposed to, which are destructive in nature.”

“You should ensure that your devices are censored by technicians so you don't get connected to sites that are designed to destroy you instead of advancing your course 1 cannot do it by themselves,” he said.

Highlighting the benefits one can get from digitalization by beginning early to appreciate and use it, Kuraun explained further that "I am talking from experience, though not as a female now. As soon as the World Wide Web (www) became available in Nigeria in 1996 with full internet access by 1998, I had the privilege of exposing myself to digitalization.

Without digitalization, Dr. Kuraun reiterated: “You could remain backward and stagnant while your contemporaries in other climes are moving forward and enjoying the benefits of digitalization.”

In the final analysis, he encouraged the girl child to embrace digitalization and “see herself becoming the best you can ever imagine to be in your generation.”

The International Day of the Girl child is a day to promote girl’s empowerment and fulfillment of their human rights while at the same time, highlighting the challenges that girls all over the world face.

This year theme, “Digital Generation, Our Generation” has become important for girls to speak up for themselves.

African Youth Union Commission is an independent youth cluster and a Pan Africa think tank that helps to mainstream activities of youths into the works of the Africa Union.