Girl Child Day: invest in girls’ education to end  child marriage, group tells Nigeria’s governments

By Stephen. Oladele

The National Coalition of Civil Society Organisations to End Child Marriage in Nigeria has urged governments in the country to increase investment in girls’ education, healthcare and social protection in order that child marriage may be checked.

The civil society coalition made the advice even as it noted that weak enforcement of existing laws continues to expose millions of girls to early marriage.

The coalition, in a statement commemorating the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, also called on religious and traditional leaders, parents and other stakeholders to get involved in efforts to protect girls’ rights.

The coalition, which comprises more than 100 organisations across Nigeria noted that non-education or interruption in education of girls aid their marriage at child age and advocated government’s funding of compulsory education for female children.

The civil organisations while lamenting the rate at which child marriage is witnessed in the county described investment in education of female children as an effective means of curbing the marriage.

They added that efforts to reduce incidence of the marriage should also be directed at making female children access quality healthcare and live free of harmful practices 

The coalition in the statement which is with the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Right’ said sustained funding, political will and accountability were critical to ending child marriage by 2030.

The civil society coalition which said more than 68 million child marriages have been averted globally over the past 25 years however noted that more than 12 million girls are still married before the age of 18 annually, representing approximately one girl every three seconds.

It said that in Nigeria about one in three girls is married before the age of 18, with prevalence exceeding 50 per cent in the North-West and North-East.

The coalition called on governments to prioritise education by ensuring that girls have access to safe, affordable and compulsory schooling. 

While stating the importance of completing at least eight years of education the coaliation noted that girls who achieve this level of schooling are three times less likely to marry early.

The coalition also advocated expanded access to quality healthcare, nutrition and reproductive health information to protect girls from early pregnancy, violence and preventable diseases.

The civil organisations urged authorities to strengthen child protection systems and provide economic support to vulnerable families.

They said that poverty ought not to be a driving force behind child marriage any longer.

The coalition urged that harmful practices and interpretations that endanger girls should be discouraged in the nation’s communities  insisting that no cultural or religious justification should be used to excuse child abuse.

The civil society coalition noted that Nigeria had achieved full domestication of the Child Rights Law across all 36 states but expressed concern that weak enforcement continued to undermine its effectiveness.

” Laws now exist nationwide, yet enforcement remains weak and harmful norms persist,” the statement reads.

It urged the government to ensure that the domestication of the law translates into effective enforcement, functional family courts and the prosecution of offenders.

It said that girls’ rights should not be celebrated on one day and ignored throughout the rest of the year.

The coalition also welcomed the launch of the national strategy to end child marriage, but maintained that its success would depend on sustained funding, political commitment and accountability.

It urged religious and traditional leaders to use their platforms to protect girls and refuse to conduct, bless or conceal child marriages.

It also enjoined parents and caregivers to keep their daughters in school and avoid sacrificing their future for bride price or temporary economic relief.

The coalition said achieving the 2030 target of ending child marriage remained possible if governments and other stakeholders backed their promises with investment, enforcement and decisive action.

The civil organisations also acknowledged the support of Girls Not Brides in advancing efforts to end child marriage and promote girls’ rights in Nigeria.