the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, in an unprecedented manner, honouring the girl-child at Thursday’s  plenary by vacating his seat for a sixteen-year-old gender advocate, Isabel Anani, who conducted a special session commemorating the International Day of the Girl Child.

This is the first time in the history of the House of Representatives that a sitting Speaker would vacate his seat to allow a non-member of the House to preside over plenary.

Members resumed plenary with the ceremonial session, as they were stunned when the Speaker announced the arrival of Ms Anani, who was accompanied by female students drawn from schools in the Federal Capital Territory, to conduct the proceedings.

A non-governmental and advocacy organisation, Plan International Nigeria, brought girls from various backgrounds and socio-economic profiles to the ceremony.

While the United Nations has designated October eleven as the International Day for the Girl Child, the Speaker called for a significant recognition of the girl-child in plenary on Thursday – the last sitting of the week.