FG, UN Agencies, and Stakeholders Collaborate to Combat Child Marriage

• Federal government collaborates with UN agencies to combat early child marriage, aiming to address alarming rates across Nigeria
• UNICEF’s Country Representative highlights severity of child marriage issue in Nigeria, with nearly 25 million child brides, emphasizing human rights violation

The federal government has initiated collaborative efforts with key UN agencies and other stakeholders to combat the prevalent issue of early child marriage in Nigeria.

Engaging with entities such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the government aims to address the alarming rates of child marriage across the country.

Ms. Cristian Munduate, UNICEF’s Country Representative, highlighted the severity of the situation during a National Dialogue on Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria held in Abuja. She disclosed that Nigeria currently harbours nearly 25 million child brides, with particularly high prevalence rates observed in states like Bauchi, Jigawa, and Zamfara.

Munduate emphasized that child marriage constitutes a violation of international human rights law, often leading to severe forms of violence against women and girls, including intimate partner violence.

The detrimental impacts of child marriage extend beyond individual lives to hinder Nigeria’s social and economic development. A recent study conducted by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and UNICEF estimated the annual economic burden of child marriage to be $10 billion. Moreover, eradicating this practice could potentially boost the nation’s GDP by nearly 25 per cent.

Mr. Koessan Kwawu, Deputy Representative of UNFPA, underscored the adverse effects of child marriage on the health, education, and prospects of children. He urged all stakeholders to work collectively towards ending this harmful practice.

Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, emphasized stakeholders’ critical role in ending child marriage by 2030. She stressed the importance of educating and engaging traditional, religious, and women’s groups at the community level to raise awareness about the negative consequences of child marriage on the girl-child.

Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, Wife of Kwara Governor and Chairperson of the Nigerian Governor’s Spouses Forum, highlighted the significance of leveraging legal instruments to end child marriage in Nigeria.

Representing the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed, the Emir of Zamfara, emphasized the necessity for children to attain a minimum age of 18 years and receive at least secondary school education before entering into marriage.