 I'm very delighted to be with you this afternoon at the inauguration of the School-Based Management Board of Adawia Girls Academy Sokoto. This is a journey that started with the vision of one simple ordinary woman, Rabia To Adawia, who despite her own lack of formal education, understood a reality that even the best minds are only just realizing that when you educate a girl, you educate a whole society. She was even more passionate about the education of girls from less-privileged or poor families. Rabia To Adawia's vision is today a reality, and she has started a movement that will bring about the education of millions of girls from poor families, from under-privileged families all over Nigeria. The people of the Minan-Nata community understand the importance of education, which is why you have agreed to host this Girls Academy, your community. You understand that ignorance has no benefit, that ignorance is darkness, but education is the bright light of knowledge that can help us to live healthier, happier, and more prosperous lives. Education is the ladder by which even the poorest can climb to the top of society. But the ladder of education is a special type of ladder. It is not only the educated person who climbs, there are family members and others around them who can learn from them also begin to climb the ladder to the top. And this is especially so when you educate women. As we have said earlier, when you educate one woman, you educate all of the children that you have as time goes on, you educate the whole community. But education is dangerous without morals and uprightness. You must teach our children the highest standards of honesty, of piety, and hard work. I am glad that the students of Adawia Girls Academy have this great opportunity of being offered both conventional and religious education using the most advanced modern teaching tools that are available in our times. So the emphasis here is not just on conventional education, the religious education of the girls is also very important. A lot of thinking has gone into designing the curriculum for the school. And we have ensured that we have the best teachers anywhere in the country. Technology and technology tools for teaching and learning is a fundamental part of our pedagogy. The schools, technology facilities at Adawia Girls Academy's technology facilities are state-of-the-art. These are some of the best facilities that you'll find anywhere in the world. And the school also, in keeping with best practice, has an intentionally optimized teacher-to-student ratio. That's why we're not taking a large number of students as we begin. We want to make sure that the teachers are able to spend enough time with individual students. I wish to commend the leadership of the Minananta community, especially Magrima Ado, Alajia Minu, Garba Riscua, for his selfless service to the people. I was informed that you, Magrima Ado, let the team comprising of all your chiefs in the selection of the deserving girls for enrollment. This is a great testament to your concern for your people. And I want to say especially that your leadership is going to be important in the academy going forward. Your support is going to be very important in the academy going forward, making sure that the highest standards are maintained. The parents and guardians of the girls have also been outstandingly cooperative. In some cases, their enthusiasm and commitment to the education of their children has gone perhaps even beyond the call of duty. For example, Malama Zali Bala, the mother of Hafsat Bala, who, when people were teasing her about having only female children, will point to examples of great women within the community and express pride and hope that with education, Hafsat will one day join the same league of great women. Malam Muhammad Danchadi, the 68-year-old father of Hawa Muhammad Danchadi, who takes pride in every day working Hawa to and from school. So Malam Danchadi would walk his daughter to school and walk her back from school. Even I value education greatly. One of the things I like to do was to take my daughters to school and take them back whenever I have the opportunity to do so. So I understand how Malam Danchadi feels about this. Then there's Aisha Bashir Shehu, guardian of Fadila Bashir Shehu and orphan who, from the first day of school, when cautioned against late coming by pupils, has always ensured that Fadila, even though she is the farthest in terms of distance, was always, if not the first, she will be the second person in school. I also wish to particularly thank the governor of Sokoto state, my dear brother, his excellency, the right honorable Aminu Waziri Tambor, the mutawale of Sokoto, for the consistent support that he has given to the school, especially in enrolling the teachers of the school into the state civil service. He has been very excited about the setting up of the school and he has promised all his support. To the members of the board, I begin first with Professor Elias Bilbis, vice chancellor, Uduz, the chairman. Valkisu Sayidu, the representative of the family and vice chairman. Dr. Muhammad Lawa Meduki, representative of Sokoto state government. Alaji Aminu Gaba Riskua, Megirma Ardon Minanata, representative of traditional rulers. Abdullahi Muhammad Babangida, representative of the community. Mrs. Rahimad Abdulmanik Balik, head teacher and representative of the parents teachers association. And Mr. Enad Chiyerin Anthony Enajite, representative of Tech Foundation and Secretary of the Board. I thank you immensely for accepting to serve. This is indeed an enormous responsibility. You are the bridge between the school and the community. Your efforts are expected to lead to improved educational outcomes of pupils and students and professionalism in the management of the school. In particular, you are required to one, monitor and supervise the school management. Two, ensure the development of a good relationship between the community and the school. Three, engage in sensitization and awareness creation on the importance of education. Four, encourage parents to send their children or wards to the school and support them to complete their education. Five, monitor pupils' students' performance and teachers' behavior and commitment to work, reporting observed lapses to the school authority. Ensure that six, ensure proper utilization and security of materials provided for the school. And also seven, to participate in school development planning, regulation and policy guidance. Eight, to ensure respect for cultural and religious and social values within the school environment. Nine, and within the school environment. I want to emphasize that we expect the management board to be even beyond what I have, beyond the terms of reference that I've stated and the functions of the board. We want you to involve yourself in ensuring that we're able to achieve the objectives of the board. We want to make sure that these young girls become the best examples of good behavior in the community. Everybody who sees them will see that they are well-behaved, they understand religious values, they understand respect for elders, that they have the best behavior. So we want the board to actively be involved in the work of the school so that we're able to produce the best products that we can find, and we are going to be able to produce them year in year out as the years go by. So it's now my pleasure to inaugurate the School-Based Management Board of Adawia Girls Academy, Sokoto. Thank you, and God bless you all.