I dream of a world where every girl and child, regardless of their location or economic background, has access to free, quality education for at least 12 years. I’m based in Nigeria and work with Connected Development, a civil society organization. We champion campaigns in education, health, water, sanitation, and other critical areas where the masses are lacking. I’ve been on the field several times, representing my organization and working with community stakeholders.

One of the key challenges I’ve realized regarding the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, particularly girls, is due to factors like early child marriage and economic hardships. I met a young girl, 13 years old, last year who was set to get married. When I asked her why she wouldn’t complete her secondary education, she explained that even if she wanted to, she couldn’t afford it. Her father is a driver, and her mother is a petty trader; they barely make enough to eat, let alone fund her education. 

Regarding AI, its role in this cause is to increase awareness. Many people lack access to information about the realities on the ground, but with AI, they can easily search for and find real data about these situations. This could attract international donors and charity organizations to analyze the data and devise solutions to enroll more girls and keep them in school. AI can serve as a platform for accessing information and bridging the digital gap between communities, helping children learn about and leverage technology for education and research beyond their immediate environment.

From rich countries, I dream of commitments backed by actions. At international conferences, we hear grand promises about supporting girls‘ education in developing countries like Nigeria, but we need more tangible actions. I want to see collaboration between international stakeholders and our country. For instance, can we have exchange programs where our students visit countries like Germany? When children are exposed to life beyond their immediate realities, they are motivated to aspire to more. If a 10 or 16-year-old girl visits Germany, even for a week, she sees what children in advanced countries are doing, which could inspire her to dream beyond her current reality.

Personally, as a woman and a mother of a young daughter, I dream of a world where women have a seat at the table based on their qualifications, not because of their gender. I want to be in meetings where my contributions are valued without being second-guessed because I am a woman. I also dream of a world where women can share their experiences, especially about gender-based violence, without being shamed. We need a justice system, support system, and recovery system that encourages women to speak out without societal judgment.

Economic empowerment for women is crucial, this is because financial dependence is one of the leading factors some women remain in abusive relationships. We need more organizations to hire women and nurture their talents until they reach managerial roles. Connected Development does this, and I’m proud to be part of it.
To everyone who comes across this message, while the world is rapidly advancing in technology like AI, there are still children in Nigeria who haven’t seen the inside of a classroom. The gap is too wide. These children have never seen a blackboard or chalk, let alone a computer. We need everyone to play active roles beyond verbal commitments to bridge this gap and ensure these children can catch up with the emerging world.