Call for Applications: Plan International Nigeria Girl Take Over

Job Description

Applications are now open for the International Day of the Girl Child Commemoration

Global discussions on girls’ rights continue to reveal a sobering reality**.** Over 130 million girls worldwide lack access to quality education, while 16% of countries have yet to enshrine the right to education for girls in their constitutions, including Nigeria. Alarmingly, 2% of nations still restrict married and pregnant girls from pursuing education, and 62% lack legislation protecting their right to continue schooling.

Beyond education, the gender disparity in governance and leadership remains high. According to UN Women in 2022, only 26.1% of parliamentarians globally were women. In Nigeria, the figures are even more disheartening: out of 423 seats in the 10th National Assembly, only 15 are held by women (3.5%), despite women making up 49% of the population. This persistent underrepresentation undermines the passage of gender-responsive policies and highlights the stalled progress on Nigeria’s 35% affirmative action demand championed by civil society and women-led movements.

These structural gaps reinforce harmful practices and neglect of girls’ issues. One of the most urgent issues is the global prevalence of child marriage, especially in conflict-affected areas where girls are often forced into early marriage and even exploited as human shields**. West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, rank second globally in child marriage rates,** withan estimated 4.4 million and 3.7 million girls married before age 18.

These realities call for urgent action, particularly in Nigeria, through:

1. Shifting from policy commitments to tangible behavioral change across communities.
2. Investing in political and governance mentorship for girls and young women, ensuring their inclusion in decision-making processes.
3. Institutionalizing roles for women through stronger policy and legislative frameworks to guarantee participation.

To address these challenges, Plan International Nigeria, through its flagship #StandWithGirls campaign, commemorates the International Day of the Girl Child with the #GirlsTakeover initiative. This bold campaign enables girls to symbolically occupy decision-making spaces, taking over the offices of policymakers, leaders and country directors. It aims to inspire girls to aspire to leadership, amplify their voices on critical issues, and foster intergenerational dialogue for gender-responsive governance.
The 2025 #GirlsTakeover will focus on senior government, policymaking positions, the Office of the Vice President, the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Swedish Embassy, German Embassy, British High Commission as well as the Office of the Country Director, Plan International Nigeria. This year’s campaign aims to deepen political will, challenge gender stereotypes, and cement platforms for girls’ leadership in governance.

Join us! We are calling on girls across Abuja to apply for the Girl Take Over event. This is a unique chance to be part of a transgenerational leadership and dialogue model, and to become a role model for other girls.

Eligibility criteria

Applicant should:

• Be a girl child between 15 – 24 years old at the time of application.
• Be a Nigerian residing in Abuja
• Be interested in and committed to gender equality.
• Come from any background or ability; we especially encourage girls from rural and marginalised communities to apply.

Programme details

1. Selection and Preparation of Girls

• Identification of girls from diverse backgrounds through open calls and partnerships with youth platforms, schools, and CSOs.
• Capacity-building workshops to prepare selected girls with knowledge of governance structures, leadership skills, media engagement, and advocacy tools.
• Pairing selected girls with mentors, including policymakers, diplomats, and women leaders, to provide hands-on guidance and support.

Girl Take Over Day:

2. Engagement with Policymakers, Diplomatic Missions and Plan Nigeria Country Director

• Facilitation of symbolic “takeovers” of high-level offices, including the Office of the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Swedish Embassy, the German Embassy, the British High Commission and Plan International Country Director.
• Structured engagements where girls present policy asks, share lived experiences, and highlight key barriers to education, protection, and participation.
• Development of joint communiqués or commitments by leaders to reinforce accountability
• Take over from the Plan International Nigeria Country Director and shadow him for a period of one year

Application Questions

Full name

Email address

Phone number

Date of birth

Location (State)

Do you have any form of Disability? If yes, what assistance will you require during the Takeover event?

1. Why do you want to take part in Girls Takeover? (Not more than 100 words)
2. What do you hope to learn from taking over a leadership position for the day, and what would you like the leader to learn from you during your takeover? (Not more than 300 words)
3. Why do you think gender equality is important? (Not more than 300 words)
4. Write a speech about the importance of Girl empowerment (Education, skill acquisition, mentorship) to the government? (Not more than 400 words)
5. If you could create something to make life easier for girls in your community, what would it be? (Not more than 300 words)