Stakeholders to FG, states: Tackle barriers to girls’ education

Stakeholders working on women’s and children’s rights have called on the federal and state governments to strengthen the implementation of laws against child marriage, improve access to safe schools and address poverty and insecurity threatening girls’ education in Nigeria.

The call was made at the public presentation of Grace and Grit, a memoir by development specialist Dr. Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba, organised by the Social Development Action Trust (SDA Trust), in line with the commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.

The stakeholders said ending child marriage requires more than public awareness campaigns, stressing the need for government investment in educational infrastructure, adequate school facilities, qualified teachers and security, particularly in communities where girls face long and unsafe journeys to school.

Speaking at the event, the Director of Strategy, Innovation and Impact at SDA Trust, Amina Baba-Manu, said child marriage was driven by a combination of cultural practices, poverty, inadequate educational facilities and concerns about girls’ safety.

She noted that some parents marry off their daughters because they fear pregnancy outside marriage or believe early marriage is necessary to protect family honour.

However, Baba-Manu said inadequate access to secondary education also contributed to the practice, citing a community in Sokoto State where parents reportedly said the nearest senior secondary school was about two hours away on foot.

According to her, the distance and security concerns made it difficult for families to allow their daughters to continue their education.

She said interventions by civil society organisations and community groups would achieve limited results without government support to provide 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, calling for stronger enforcement of existing commitments to girls’ education and protection.

Baba-Manu also warned that early marriage could perpetuate poverty, explaining that girls who leave school and enter unstable marriages may return to their families with children and additional financial responsibilities.

She said educating girls would improve their economic prospects, strengthen families and contribute to national development.

Also speaking, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Dr Charles Usie, called on men, particularly fathers, to take an active role in protecting girls’ rights and ensuring they complete their education before marriage.

Usie described Charles-Monwuba’s father as a central figure in her life story for refusing to marry her off at 16, despite financial difficulties that made the proposed marriage attractive to his business partners.

He said the decision enabled 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 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 mobilise men to protect girls and ensure they complete school before marriage.

He called for the initiative to be expanded nationwide, urging fathers to become advocates for girls’ education and equality.

In her remarks, Charles-Monwuba called on governments to ensure schools were accessible, secure and equipped with adequate facilities, including appropriate sanitation infrastructure for girls.

She said long distances to school and insecurity could discourage parents from sending their daughters to school, adding that authorities must provide an environment where children could learn without fear of kidnapping or other threats.

The author also urged governments to provide the infrastructure, qualified teachers and digital learning resources required to expand educational opportunities for children who cannot access conventional schools.

On child marriage, she called for stronger implementation of legal protections against marriage before the age of 18, urging relevant authorities to ensure that commitments to protect girls translated into action.

Charles-Monwuba said she wrote Grace and Grit to document lessons from her personal and professional experiences and inspire young people who might believe their family backgrounds limited 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.

The author said 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 urged parents to be deliberate about their children’s futures, while encouraging girls to pursue their ambitions and take advantage of opportunities available to them.

The event was held as part of activities marking the International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on October 11, with stakeholders emphasising that ending child marriage requires coordinated action by governments, families, communities and civil society organisations.