PHOTOSCENE: Osinbajo receives activist Malala

The Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo on Monday played host to a delegation of the Malala Fund who paid him a courtesy call at the Presidential Villa.

The team was led by Ms. Malala Yousafzai, UN Messenger of Peace.

Osinbajo at the occasion stressed on the need for the development and dissemination of alternative and counter narratives to challenge terrorism and violent extremism.

“With respect to violent extremism I am pleased you are taking it on. It is a very complex problem of those of us who have to deal with it on a daily basis.

Continuing Prof. Osinbajo noted that “there is no question that we need to develop counter-narratives. We are faced with emotive narratives and its now about getting people to understand through counter-narratives that there is a different way to get things done,” referring to the prevalence of terrorism and violent extremism around the world.”

The Acting President commended Malala, noting that “your story is an inspiration for not only young women around the world but for us all”.

Read also: PHOTOSCENE: Fresh from AU meeting, Osinbajo chairs FEC meeting

According to him, “Your ability to articulate issues and the courage to face down hatred and terrorism is widely acknowledged.”

The Acting President observed that while there is a connection between terrorism on the one hand and poverty and ignorance on the other, the challenge that terrorism poses on a global scale is much deeper considering cases of terrorism and hatred even in advanced societies where ignorance and poverty were not rampant.

‘We have to change the mindset and delegitimise the false ideas and notions of hatred and violence,” he added.

“Getting people to enroll in school is the easier part of the problem. The bigger one is to ensure that we don’t promote the mindset that girls are in anyway inferior and all that,” the Acting President stated.

Present at the meeting were Ministers of Education; Mallam Adamu Adamu, Women Affairs; Aisha Alhassan and Minister of State for Budget & National Planning Zainab Ahmed.

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