Here is the complete speech of the 2018 winner of Ada Ndi-Igbo 2018. Her name is HRM Nneoma Ocho.

Read below:

“Igbo nwem, aham bu Nneoma Emmanuel Ochor (Ada Ndi-Igbo XIV) maka ndị mba di iche iche édémédé a ga abu na okwu bekee.

Let me commence by thanking you profusely for your support and honour given to me during the competition exercise of the last Ada Ndi-Igbo beauty pageant, which to the glory of God I emerged the winner and crowned the prestigious Adandiigbo XIV.

It has been an exceptional privilege to have a platform to serve my people (the entire Igbo race) home and in diaspora, our country Nigeria and Africa at large, by promoting our CULTURAL HERITAGE, supporting GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION, and campaign against ills affecting the girl child in our society .

A GIRL-CHILD
is a biological female offspring This is the age that covers the crèche, nursery or early childhood. During this period, the young child is totally under the care of the adult who may be her parents or guardians and older siblings. It is made up of infancy, childhood, During this period, the child is malleable, builds and develops her personality and character. She is very dependent on the significant others, those on whom she models her behaviour, through observation, repetition and imitation. Her physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional developments start and progress to get to the peak at the young adult stage.

EDUCATION
It is a process through which an individual acquires knowledge and realizes his/her potentialities and uses them for self-actualization, to be useful to herself and others. It is a means of preserving, transmitting and improving the culture of the society.

At the beginning of colonialism, rigid ideas on gender were imposed on the African mind, thereafter, the woman’s role has come to be merely for sexual and commercial labours – satisfying the sexual needs of men, working in the fields, tending to babies and preparing food. How can a girl who is not up to 18 years old be able to execute all these duties and look after her so called “family”? She is not matured enough to give birth and in the process of giving birth could become exposed to certain viral infections and even lose her life.

Enabling female education is crucial for national development, and the role of women cannot be underestimated. The general belief is that “when you educate a man, you educate one but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” This is so because the education of every child starts from the family and the mother is the first teacher. Educating the girl child produces mothers who are educated and who will in turn educate their children, care for their families and provide for their children.

Therefore, educating the girl child translates to better health for the future generation, reduction in child  mortality thus triggering a snowball effect of achieving all other Sustainable Development Goals in a viable manner.

The girl child needs to be educated to acquire knowledge and skills needed to advance her status for social interactions and self-improvement.

The girl child education also prepares her to face the reality in society and teaches her to be a good wife and mother. When she is educated, she realises the full potentials endowed in her; she discovers to be whoever and whatever she wants to be. With education, she would break the shell of ignorance and open that of self-discovery.

The Child’s Rights Act should be strengthened and implemented in all states. This would go a long way in checkmating indiscriminate child abuse. This is because, as girls are not educated, they remain dependent on their parents before marriage, on their husbands after marriage, and on their children if eventually their husbands die. Would you as a concerned, caring and loving father or mother love to see your daughter in this condition? This calls for encouraging the girl child education

We shall strive to create sanity during my reign.

Sadly I must point out that the loss of great icons like Barrister Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu Akpunwa of Igboland and Dr Dozie Ikedife Ikéngà.  Nnewi is coming at this time Igbos would need  them most .

I pray Igbos with equivalent understanding should inspire us the youths to a level of success with our endeavors as the future leaders of Igboland .

Support Nneoma Emmanuel Ochor Girl- Child Education campaign today for a better society tomorrow.

Igbo nwem Ndewonu ooo

HRM NNEOMA ỌCHO ADANDIIGBO XIV”