FG, States Urged to Tackle Barriers to Girls’ Education in Nigeria
Stakeholders advocating women’s and children’s rights have urged the federal and state governments to strengthen enforcement of child marriage laws, improve school access and tackle poverty and insecurity that prevent many Nigerian girls from completing their education.
Also read:You Either Love Me Or Hate Me, I’m Not Afraid — Shettima
The call was made at the Abuja presentation of Grace and Grit, a memoir by development specialist Dr Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba, organised by the Social Development Action Trust (SDA Trust) as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
The stakeholders stressed that ending child marriage requires more than awareness campaigns, calling for greater investment in school infrastructure, qualified teachers, adequate facilities and security, particularly in communities where girls face long and unsafe journeys to school.
Speaking at the event, SDA Trust’s Director of Strategy, Innovation and Impact, Amina Baba-Manu, identified cultural practices, poverty, inadequate educational facilities and safety concerns as factors contributing to child marriage.
She said some parents married off their daughters because they feared pregnancy outside marriage or believed early marriage was necessary to protect family honour.
Baba-Manu also highlighted the impact of limited access to secondary education, citing a community in Sokoto State where parents reportedly said the nearest senior secondary school was about two hours away on foot.
She said the distance and security risks made it difficult for some families to allow their daughters to continue their education.
According to her, civil society organisations and community groups could achieve only limited results without government investment in accessible schools, qualified teachers and safe learning environments.
“We have the policies. We have the laws in place. But it’s just the implementation of those policies,” she said, urging authorities to translate existing commitments into practical action.
Baba-Manu warned that early marriage could reinforce poverty, noting that girls who leave school and enter unstable marriages may return to their families with children and additional financial responsibilities.
She added that educating girls would improve their economic prospects, strengthen families and contribute to national development.
Plan International calls for fathers’ involvement
The Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Dr Charles Usie, urged men, particularly fathers, to take an active role in protecting girls’ rights and ensuring they complete their education before marriage.
Usie cited Charles-Monwuba’s personal experience, saying her father refused to marry her off at 16 despite financial difficulties that made a proposed marriage attractive to his business partners.
He said the decision allowed her to pursue higher education and build a career in international development, demonstrating that educating girls does not prevent them from becoming wives, mothers and active contributors to society.
“What role are you playing in the life of girls? Either your daughter, your sister, your friend, what role are you playing? Are you enabling this problem or are you part of the solution?” he asked.
Usie said Plan International had established fathers’ support groups in states including Sokoto and Bauchi to encourage men to protect girls and support their education.
He called for the initiative to be expanded nationwide, urging fathers to champion girls’ education and equality.
Author urges investment in safe schools
Charles-Monwuba also called on governments to make schools accessible, secure and adequately equipped, including with appropriate sanitation facilities for girls.
She said long distances and insecurity could discourage parents from sending their daughters to school, adding that authorities must create learning environments where children are protected from kidnapping and other threats.
The author urged governments to provide the infrastructure, qualified teachers and digital learning resources needed to expand educational opportunities, including for children unable to access conventional schools.
On child marriage, she called for stronger implementation of legal protections against marriage before the age of 18, stressing that commitments to protect girls must translate into action.
Charles-Monwuba said she wrote Grace and Grit to share lessons from her personal and professional experiences and encourage young people who believe their family backgrounds limit their opportunities.
She recounted how her father rejected a proposal to marry her off at 16 in exchange for financial support for his struggling business, insisting that she proceed to university.
According to the author, the experience shaped her future and reinforced her belief in the importance of parental support, education and opportunities for girls to determine their own paths.
She encouraged parents to be deliberate about their children’s futures and urged girls to pursue their ambitions and make use of available opportunities.
The event formed part of activities marking the International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on October 11.
Stakeholders stressed that tackling child marriage and improving girls’ access to education require coordinated action by governments, families, communities and civil society organisations.
