From Idu Jude, Abuja
As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) 2026, the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) has urged the Federal Government to enact relevant laws that will protect the rights of the girl child and to end the debilitating cases of child marriage.
The organization, in a press statement issued by the Director, Princess Hamman-Obels, on Monday, said it joins the global community to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child and calls for renewed action to protect girls’ rights, end child marriage and invest in the opportunities that enable every girl to learn, grow, lead and determine her future.
It could be recalled that on the 19th of December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170, designating 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child.
IRIAD further reminded that since 2012, the day has provided a global platform to mark 15 years of the declaration and to recognise girls’ rights, amplify their voices and address the unique challenges they face.
This year’s theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”, draws attention to a practice that continues to deny girls their childhood, education, health, choices, and future.
“Child marriage is not simply about age. It is about rights, power, opportunity, and the future of the girl child. When a girl is married before she is ready, she is withdrawn from school, denied opportunities to develop her skills, exposed to violence, and pushed into early pregnancy and motherhood. For many girls, this means becoming mothers before their bodies are ready for the demands of pregnancy and childbirth. Adolescent girls face greater risks of serious complications during pregnancy and childbirth, and pregnancy-related causes remain a leading cause of death among girls aged 15–19.”
The organization notes that Nigeria continues to face a very high maternal mortality burden, with a maternal mortality ratio estimated at 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
This, according to it, makes protecting girls from early and forced pregnancy and ensuring access to quality, adolescent-friendly healthcare an urgent priority.
The statement reads in part, “The consequences extend beyond the girl herself. Babies born to adolescent mothers also face greater risks, while girls who become mothers too early are more likely to experience interrupted education, reduced economic opportunities, and cycles of poverty.
“Early motherhood interrupts education, reduces economic opportunities, increases dependency, and exposes girls to greater vulnerability.
“In the most tragic cases, pregnancy and childbirth can cost a girl her life. Behind every statistic is a girl whose choices, opportunities, and future may have been taken away from her.
“No girl should lose her life because she was pushed into motherhood before she was ready. No girl should have to sacrifice her education and future for a marriage she did not choose.”
Meanwhile, it said, a country cannot achieve inclusive and sustainable development while half of its population is denied the opportunity to learn, participate, and lead. “Inclusive leadership begins with inclusive opportunities. If girls’ education is replaced with early marriage, if classrooms are replaced with early motherhood, and if dreams of leadership are replaced with responsibilities they were never prepared to carry, how can we expect girls to lead, contribute, and shape the future of their communities and country?
“The question is not whether girls are capable of leading. The question is whether we are creating the conditions for them to get there. Ending child marriage requires more than awareness. It requires effective laws and policies, accountable institutions, accessible education, adequate and affordable healthcare, protection systems, community engagement and sustained investment in girls. Girls are not merely beneficiaries of development. They are rights-holders, students, innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates, caregivers, community leaders and agents of transformation.
“Girls with disabilities and girls from marginalised communities must also have their voices heard, their rights protected and their opportunities expanded. Investing in girls is investing in the leaders, professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs, mothers, policymakers and community builders of tomorrow. When girls are educated, protected and empowered, they are better positioned to participate in decisions, challenge inequality, strengthen communities and contribute to national development.”
IRIAD further called on Parents and guardians to protect the childhood and future of every girl. Keep girls in school, listen to their aspirations, support their education and development, and reject practices that force girls into marriage or motherhood before they are ready.
It also called on other relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Health, NGOs, and the traditional stools, to close ranks in providing enablement to help promote the lives of the girl child.
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