A Non-Governmental Organization, Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI), has decried the spate of teenage pregnancy among young girls in Kogi State.
The Executive Director of CPI, Eunice Abimbola Agbogun, disclosed this on Saturday, stating that the trend is becoming alarming and worrisome in Kogi State.
She explained that this development has increased the number of out-of-school girls in the state, stressing the need for urgent steps by all relevant stakeholders to secure their future.
“My concern is the rate of teenage and young girls’ pregnancy reports that have been emanating from Kogi State recently. For me, this is worrisome because I am an advocate for the empowerment of the girl child and women.
“If I stand for that, seeing the high rate of teenage and young girl pregnancy happening recently across the nooks and crannies of Kogi State, this is setting us backward. Our desire is to see that the girl child is well-educated and able to finish school so that they can be empowered economically.
“If there is no level of education, how can they be empowered or get a good job? My organization and some strategic partners are coming up to set a platform that will be more of a one-stop shop so that when we receive such cases, they will be penciled down on the platform.”
She called for more sensitization on sexual and reproductive health in Kogi State, adding that her NGO is always ready to help young girls get out of their traumatic situations.