Plateau pharmacists campaign against child marriage, urge girl-child education

The Association of Lady Pharmacists of Nigeria, Plateau State chapter, has urged parents, communities and the government to protect girls’ rights and invest in their education and health.

The association made the call during an event to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child at Rochas Foundation College in Jos, Plateau State.

Dorathy Biggs, chairperson of the occasion, decried the prevalence of child marriage, warning that the practice deprives girls of opportunities to realise their potential and contribute to society.

“The girl child is full of potential but child marriage cuts short her dreams,” Mrs Biggs said, urging mothers, communities and the state government to work together to end the practice.

She added that educating girls empowers them to become women who can contribute to Plateau State’s and Nigeria’s development.

Also speaking, Olivia Dazyam, chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission and special adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on gender, commended the association for promoting girls’ rights.

Mrs Dazyam said the state government was committed to protecting girls and addressing gender-based abuses.

“Child marriage is not culture. It is a violation of rights,” she said, adding that the government would continue to enforce existing laws while investing in girls’ education and healthcare.

The chairperson of the association’s Plateau chapter, Lydia Ior, said the commemoration was designed to amplify girls’ voices and draw attention to the challenges confronting them.

“As lady pharmacists, we are not only concerned about drugs; we are concerned about the total well-being of the girl child,” Dr Ior said.

She described ending child marriage as an investment in the future, stressing that keeping girls healthy and in school would improve their prospects and benefit future generations.

Obiageli Eze-Ugonna, chairperson of the organising committee, said the association distributed sanitary pads to more than 300 schoolgirls to promote menstrual hygiene and help them remain in school.

She said some girls’ inability to afford sanitary products could contribute to school absenteeism and increase their vulnerability.

“By providing over 300 girls with pads today and educating them on their reproductive health, we are telling them that their dignity matters,” Mrs Eze-Ugonna said.

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She urged the girls to remain in school, speak up about their concerns and pursue their ambitions.

The event, themed “End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls’ Rights,” attracted participants from at least seven schools across Plateau State.

It featured health talks, spoken-word poetry and the distribution of sanitary pads, with officials of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and the Medical Women Association of Nigeria in attendance.

The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on 11 October to promote girls’ rights and draw attention to challenges affecting their welfare, education and development.