HERITAGE BANK’S BRAND AMBASSADOR, ZURIEL ODUWOLE, APPEALS TO WORLD LEADERS TO END TERRORISM AGAINST GIRL-CHILD

World renowned Girl-child education rights activist and Face of Heritage Bank’s Financial Literacy brand, Zuriel Oduwole, has called on all world leaders to unite in finding lasting solution to all forms of terrorism against the girl-child.

The world’s most powerful 11-year old Celebrity spoke as part of the growing global condemnation of the abduction of over 200 Nigerian school girls by members of the Boko Haram sect. According to her, the abduction is an abominable act of terrorism against the girl-child which is capable of destroying the future of the African child in a rapidly developing world.

 “Let’s educate our girls, let’s release ALL of Nigeria’s potentials. There are many Zuriels out there, waiting to lift the country to its fullest potential. For the sake of the hurting parents and their families, let’s secure the release of the Chibok school girls, so they can contribute to the full development of the emerging African brand called Nigeria”, she appealed.

Zuriel’s exhortation on the Chibok School girls debacle is coming on the heels of her recent Heritage Bank sponsored activities in the area of girl child rights activism in the country. As part of the Bank’s Financial Literacy Campaign in March this year, Zuriel addressed a large audience of school children drawn from several public and private secondary schools in Lagos where she challenged them to maximize available opportunities in order to realize their goals of world acclaim. She also went to Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State where she shared her views on financial literacy, goal setting and opportunity maximization with students of Ado Grammar School.

Additionally, in April, the Nigerian-American child prodigy, using the platform of her Dream Up, Stand Up, Speak Up pet project, urged female leaders to intensify efforts towards girl-child education. She made the call at the First Ladies’ Colloquy on Girl-child Education themed ‘Practical & Simple Solutions, one-village at a time’ which was partly sponsored by Heritage Bank in Lagos.

“I am not always happy seeing children out of school; it is a signpost to poverty and bleak future. We need involvement of first Ladies, mothers, School owners and all change-agents to ensure that the girl-child is allowed to have quality education and acquire skills that would make her a wholesome person to herself and the nation at large,” Oduwole stated.

Zuriel, who started the “Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up” project to inspire girls in Africa to achieve their dreams of quality education, has interviewed a dozen presidents and prime ministers from all over Africa and was named in December 2013 as one of the most influential Africans by New Africa magazine. Through her Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up initiative, Zuriel is empowering young girls and re-branding the image of Africa.