Minister of Women Affairs, Honourable Uju Ohaneye, has said the Federal Government would no longer allow underaged girls to be lodged in hotels across the country.
She said this was part of the precautionary measures to halt human trafficking especially Nigerian girls.
She made the disclosure at the weekend while speaking on the occasion of Graduation and Grant Presentation of financial assistance to youth who participated in the Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, organised by the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Technical Education, Abiola Arogundade.
The Minister of Women Affairs remarks was on the heels of a trending video of Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Ghana for prostitution.
The teenage girls were aged between 15-16 years.
Aside from a ban on lodging of underaged girls, Honourable Ohaneye also said her Ministry was determined to stop premature deaths of Nigerians as hospitals would no longer be allowed to reject emergency patients.
She said:”Women have been suffering in this country. Today, we have talked about allowing the poor to breathe in this country
“Meanwhile I am sure you saw the video circulating about our girls taken to Ghana. Did you see it? Very good. Action will start on Monday. You will hear about our action first thing on Monday morning. That is the first I am going to approach and see what we can do about it.
“Nigeria must be better. From 20th (June), we have directed hotels to put a sign outside from the Ministry of Women. No lodging of underage girls. (Otherwise) what happened in Niger State will be an understatement to what will happen in the FCT and I mean it. No more lodging of underage girls and no more bullying in schools.
“And our hospitals will also put a sign of ‘No more rejection of emergency patients.’ These are some of the major issues we have in this country.”
In her remarks at the graduation ceremony of the youth who acquired skills in technical, vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, the SSA,
Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, said the 10,000 participants in the programme tagged, “Unlock Training Programme,” were trained “on how to write and execute Business Plans.
“During the programme, both online and physical Participants were trained on the components of a good Business Plan including Executive Summary, Business Overview and Marketing Strategies, Pricing, Money Management and Risks, among others.
After the course, participants were asked to write and submit Business Plans. “Today, we are giving out N500,000 Naira grants each to 120 winners with the best Business Plans.
“We are also giving out honourary awards to 80 persons seen to be doing very well in their Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship skills but need support to upscale their businesses.
We also promised to give Certificate of Completion to all participants who completed the training and to assist participants, especially new start-ups, to register their companies. Today, we are here to fulfill those promises.
“The Staff of the Corporate Affairs Commission and those of the Providus Bank are here to respectively issue incorporation certificates and to credit the winners with their N500,000 Naira grants so that none of you will leave here today without your prices.”
Checks revealed that 200 trainers benefitted from the grant. While 120 were Freshers, 80 of them were those already in business who needed financial support to boost their investment.