To commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October 2025, the Sport Girls Initiative, a flagship program of the African Girls Empowerment Network (AGE Network), hosted an exciting football competition for girls from four community schools in Ado Odo Ota, Ogun State.
The event was part of AGE Network’s ongoing effort to empower young women and girls and reduce their vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), while helping to flatten the curve of teenage pregnancy, HIV infection, and school dropout in Ogun State through football and life-skills education.
This initiative is particularly timely, as Ogun State recorded over 92,000 teenage pregnancies between 2016 and 2020 — an average of more than 18,000 per year. The State also has the highest rate of child marriage in Southern Nigeria, with 23% of girls married before the age of 18, while the HIV prevalence among adolescents stands at 1.6%, slightly above the national average of 1.4%. These figures highlight the urgent need for continuous, community-based interventions targeting adolescent girls.
Before the matches kicked off, the girls and their sports masters participated in a comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) session covering HIV prevention, leadership, teamwork, coordination, personal hygiene, and the Sport Girls’ safeguarding code of conduct.
Leading the Sport Girls team, Ms. Esther Asuquo, Program Lead, encouraged the girls to remain confident, resilient, and determined in pursuing their dreams. She reiterated that the Sport Girls Initiative, under AGE Network, is committed to closing the gender divide and creating equal opportunities for girls in sports and education.
In the matches, Georgia School and Living Spring School competed in the first game, with Georgia School winning by one goal. The second match between Assurance School and In His Light School ended in a draw.
The event concluded on a joyful note, as students expressed excitement and gratitude to the Sport Girls Team for the opportunity to showcase their talents and learn through sports.
The Sport Girls Initiative, implemented by the African Girls Empowerment Network (AGE Network), continues to use football as a transformative tool to inspire, educate, and empower adolescent girls across Ogun State — promoting girls’ rights, leadership, and inclusion through sports.
About AGE Network:
AGE Network is a registered women-led organization working at the grassroots to advance the rights, empowerment, and inclusion of underprivileged girls and young women in Nigeria. Its focus areas include education, leadership, health and reproductive justice, economic empowerment, and climate action. www.agenetwork.org
