From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Federal Government will on Tuesday launch the National Strategy and Costed Action Plan for Ending Child Marriage in Kano State as part of renewed efforts to protect girls’ rights, promote education and tackle harmful cultural practices.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, will lead a federal delegation to Kano on October 13 for the official launch, which will also feature empowerment packages for vulnerable girls and families, alongside a high-level dialogue involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, fathers, male allies and adolescent girls.
The ministry disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Ahmed Danbazau, to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on October 11.
The event, held under the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” is expected to provide an operational and budgetary framework to guide interventions by federal and state governments, as well as development partners, towards ending child marriage.
The government will also distribute educational and empowerment support packages to selected vulnerable girls and families to encourage school retention, ease financial pressures and recognise parents supporting their daughters’ education.
Speaking on the significance of the commemoration, Sulaiman-Ibrahim said ending child marriage required collective responsibility, particularly the active involvement of men and boys in challenging harmful social norms and protecting girls.
She said the government was working to ensure that every girl was valued, protected and empowered to determine her future.
“Ending child marriage requires a united front where men and boys stand shoulder-to-shoulder with women and girls. When fathers champion their daughters, when traditional and religious leaders use their voices to protect young girls, and when young boys are raised to respect and uplift their sisters, whole communities thrive,” the minister said.
“No girl should ever be denied her childhood, and together with our male allies across Nigeria, we are building a nation where every girl is safe, educated, and empowered.”
The minister identified positive fatherhood and the involvement of male community leaders as critical to sustaining progress in girls’ education and preventing early marriage.
According to her, more fathers are taking active steps to keep their daughters in school, support their career ambitions and protect them from early marriage, while increased school retention, female literacy and participation in higher education reflect broader changes in social attitudes.
She also linked the protection of girls to the development of safe and supportive family structures, saying the Federal Government’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Families and Social Development underscored the importance of responsible male leadership in the home.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim said fathers and male guardians should serve as the first line of defence for their daughters’ rights, dignity and education under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The ministry said it had developed, reviewed and validated more than 38 policy instruments, standard operating procedures and specialised frameworks aimed at strengthening the protection of women, children and other vulnerable groups.
Among the measures are the ongoing review of the Child Rights Act 2003 in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice and the review of the National Child Policy 2008 to address emerging concerns relating to adolescent girls, digital safety and social protection.
The ministry also cited the adoption of the country’s first National Strategy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene and the ongoing review of the Second National Gender Policy to incorporate emerging national and global priorities.
It said efforts were also being made to ensure that women and girls with disabilities had equal access to protection, education, digital skills and economic empowerment.
Other initiatives include the Girl Child Development Desk, the “See Something, Say Something, We Do Something” child protection campaign, the Future Now Initiative for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, and the Care Economy agenda aimed at reducing excessive unpaid domestic work imposed on young girls.
The ministry further highlighted the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up, supported by a $500m World Bank expansion, as part of efforts to improve household financial security and reduce economic pressures that could push families towards early marriage.
It said strengthening the economic stability of households would help parents prioritise their children’s long-term development and education.
A key component of the Kano event will be an intergenerational dialogue on positive masculinity and social norm change, bringing together traditional and religious leaders, fathers and adolescent girls to identify practical ways of ending child marriage.
The dialogue will also showcase male role models who support girls’ education and encourage influential men to use their positions to challenge harmful practices and mentor younger generations.
The ministry called on state governments, traditional institutions, religious organisations, community leaders, fathers and youth groups across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to support efforts to protect girls and translate policies into concrete action.
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