Fabanwo: Girls’ Brigade Nigeria positioned to help girl-child

The Girls’ Brigade Nigeria is the most strategic organisation that can help the girl child, the President of the Brigade, Mrs. Stella Fabanwo, has said.

Fabanwo, who was sworn in as the new president of the organisation on Saturday, February 26 in Abuja, said in an interview with newsmen that girls in the country should be encouraged to take advantage of the organisation for their own good.

She said the girls’ brigade has what it takes to train the girl child, adding however that only a handful of girls take advantage of the organisation.

Recalling her younger days as a member of the brigade, she said: “I joined the organisation when I was nine years old and I can attest that the organisation made me what I am. The training we are exposed to builds us to a point of appreciating life better and being able to cope with motherhood. I owe success as a mother to my membership of the Girls’ Brigade Nigeria.”

The organisation, according to her, attends to both the physical and spiritual needs of girls.

“We train girls on how to maximise their spiritual potentials and also how to embark on physical exercises that will keep them fit.

“Beyond that girls are trained on strategic vocational skills that can make them excel in life,” she said.

While disclosing that many members of the Brigade are successful individuals in the country, she said: “Another beautiful thing about the Girls’ Brigade is that it helps girls to be bold, confident, and cosmopolitan. I can tell you the boldness I have today is tied to my membership of the girls’ brigade.”

She urged parents to encourage their female children to join the organisation anywhere they may be in the country.

According to her, the organisation is in about 27 states in Nigeria. “So far our membership is in millions, but only a handful say about 25,000 are active. There is so much apathy for now. But God is going to help us to build up the image of the organisation.”

She thanked all those who supported her emergence as the president of the organisation. She also appreciated her predecessor in office, Mrs. Magdalene Apeh, for leading the organisation in the right direction.

“I am going to build on the work done by my predecessor in office. We are going to take the work further during our tenure,” she said.

She said her tenure will focus on ensuring that the organisation gets more attention around the country.

“We want to take the organisation to places we are yet to reach and drive our membership. We are also going to consolidate the training potentials of the brigade and also make sure we have a lot of digital presence. Right now our media presence is low. We will work on that,” she said.

Fabanwo, who traced the organisation to Margaret Lyttle in the UK in 1893, said there were three organisations that came together to form the Girls’ Brigade International which is the parent body of Girls’ Brigade Nigeria.

“We had the Girls’ Brigade which Mrs. Lyttle started, we had the Girls’ Guild and then Girls’ Life Brigade. They were operated independently of one another for several years until they came together on June 10, 1968 to form Girls’ Brigade International. Nigeria is part of the international body,” she said.

According to her, the organisation has its roots in many denominations in Nigeria. She, however, explained that Girls’ Brigade Nigeria operates with the template of the Girls’ Brigade International.

She called on the government to always lend a helping hand to the organisation whenever it reaches out to it.

“We hope that government will keep supporting us. We get a lot of support from the Lagos State government. We are hoping that more states will support too and support well. A trained girl child will reduce crimes like prostitution and guarantee a sane society devoid of violence,” she said.

Other officers elected along with Fabanwo, are Mrs. Wonosato Angama Frank, Deputy President; Mrs. Ruth Utulu, National Secretary; Mrs. Vou Bitrus Choji, Treasurer, and Ms Ibinibo Patrick, PRO.

Also elected were Mrs. Dorcas M. Kunda, Vice President Zone 3; Mrs. Yemi A. Ogundana, Vice President Zone 4; Deaconess Inyang V. Akpawan, Vice President Zone 5; Mrs Eucharia Ogbonna, Vice President Zone 6 and Rev. Ishaku Iliya Abe, Chaplain.

The Star