International Day of the Girl Child: Makinde Pledges Free Education, Healthcare
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A Seyi Makinde-led administration would prioritise free education, vocational training, adolescent healthcare and stronger enforcement of child-protection laws to reduce child marriage and keep more Nigerian girls in school, the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation has said.
The campaign organisation said the proposed measures would also include legal aid for vulnerable girls, protection for survivors of abuse and community sensitisation programmes to address harmful social norms associated with early marriage.
Its Director of National Women Coordination, Hon. Toyin Balogun, disclosed this in a statement on Monday to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on October 11.
The 2026 observance is themed, “End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls Rights.”
Balogun, a former Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, said the proposed administration would replicate the free education policy implemented in Oyo State as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s high out-of-school population.
She said vocational and artisanal training would complement conventional education, particularly for girls whose schooling had been disrupted by early marriage, enabling them to acquire skills to support themselves and their families.
According to her, the administration would also strengthen the implementation of existing child-protection laws and address gaps that leave girls vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and forced or early marriage.
She said child-friendly justice mechanisms would be strengthened to enable girls to report violations safely and receive timely support, while legal aid and protection services would be expanded, particularly in poor, rural, remote and underserved communities.
Balogun added that survivors would be protected from retaliation, stigma and further harm when seeking justice, with progress assessed by the number of girls protected and supported, as well as those able to remain in or return to school.
On healthcare, she said the proposed government would introduce inclusive policies to address gaps in services for child brides and prioritise adolescent-responsive sexual and reproductive healthcare.
She also called for community sensitisation programmes to educate families and communities about the consequences of child marriage, including vesicovaginal fistula, maternal deaths and neonatal mortality.
Balogun said protecting girls from early marriage required coordinated action by policymakers, families, communities and government institutions, noting that poverty, harmful social norms, discrimination and weak protection systems continued to limit girls’ opportunities.
Citing available data, she said 33.4 percent of young women in Nigeria were married before the age of 18, while UNICEF had reported that 7.6 million Nigerian girls were out of school, with significant numbers in both the northern and southern parts of the country.
She noted that child marriage went beyond the age at which a girl married, as it could interrupt her education, compromise her health, limit her economic independence and increase her vulnerability to violence and coercion.
Balogun urged stakeholders to work together to ensure that every Nigerian girl had access to education, healthcare and protection, enabling her to realise her potential.
“Together, all hands must be on deck to support the Nigerian Girl Child to enable her to attain her maximum potentials,” she said.