By Jacinta Nwachukwu
A non-governmental organisation, Plan International Nigeria, on Thursday, called for more workable measures aimed at addressing issues of child marriage in Nigeria.
The group said that child marriage, an act of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), required more action than just policies on paper.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Plan International is an organisation focused on advancing children’s rights and equality for girls globally.
Country Director of the group Dr Charles Usie, said this in a statement issued by its Communications Advisor, Ms Queeneth Njoku, to commemorate the 2025 edition of the 16 Days Activism Against GBV.
NAN reports that the activism is an annual global campaign which runs from Nov. 25, until Dec. 10.
It seeks to galvanise governments, communities and institutions to prevent and respond to cases of violence against women and girls in society.
According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), four out of every 10 girls in Nigeria, are married before the age of 18.
It says that the prevalence of child marriage remains high, with 44 per cent of girls being married before the age of 18, giving a figure of over 24 million children brides.
UNICEF says that this ranks Nigeria as third globally.
Usie said that addressing child marriage required a systemic change in the spaces where harmful norms are rooted such as the home, schools, health facilities, faith and traditional institutions.
According to him, real progress depends on laws that are clear, harmonised and fully enforced, adding that community-led efforts which uphold and protect gender rights, are also vital.
He noted that every girl-child deserved the right to a childhood, a right to be supported, empowered and being able to make personal decisions, rather than being forced into marriage.
He reiterated the organisation’s commitment to building a safe and inclusive environments, where every girl-child can learn, lead and thrive, free from threat of forced marriage.
“Plan International Nigeria remains steadfast in its commitment to build a safe, inclusive and empowering environments for women and girls.
“Make sexual violence a crime, inside and outside of marriage.
“Keep girls in school, no more dropouts; set up flexible learning options for married or pregnant girls with transport stipends and childcare and make it simple for them to get back on track.
“Make services work for girls: Expand adolescent-friendly health services and train providers to understand and support girls,” he said.
The country director, therefore, urged government to set a uniform minimum marital age of 18 and enforce birth and marriage registration for every girl-child. (NAN)(www.nanews.ng)
Edited by Sandra Umeh
