Centre for Integrated Health Programmes (CIHP) has graduated 47 girls from its Science
Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Hub for Empowerment (SHE) programme.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the second cohort of the programme, organised in
partnership with the U.S. government through the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the Chief Executive Officer(CEO), CIHP, Dr. Bola Oyeledun, said mentorship is critical
because it helps the younger ones aspire for greater achievements, build confidence and skills.
She added that the future of a country depends on its investments in its young people, harping
on the need to equip youths to manage relationships and life skills.
She noted that there were lots of vulnerabilities and inequalities in the society, which posed a risk to the sexual, mental and physical well-being of the girl child, calling for sufficient
structures and interventions to address the issues.
Oyeledun explained that the initiative aims to spur the interest of girls towards STEM and to
encourage their technology skills, which would result in generating income for the participants.
She noted that after a fair screening process, the girls embarked on a 17-week training, adding that there is also an advanced class for those who want to continue training.
Representative of CDC, Dr. Dahlatu Ibrahim, applauded the achievements of the project, which
enables the girl child to survive financially and develop their skills.
He emphasised the need for the sustainability of such projects by partnering with more
organisations so that graduands get absorbed in different organisations and develop alumni
systems to further train and support other youths in the community.
Dahlatu urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity and use the training as a starting
point to their future achievements.
