An ethnic region comprised of more than 500 indigenous languages, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Being the most inhabited African territory as of 2018, child marriage in Nigeria is prevalent with it holding the highest number of child marriages. According to UNICEF Nigeria, an estimated 22 million child brides live in Nigeria since 2018, which accounts for 41% of all child brides in West and Central Africa. This means that four out of every 10 girls, nearly 60 million, were forced into marriage before the age of 18.

Political Efforts

Child marriage remains prevalent in Nigeria due to the federal and state governments not implementing proper laws to prevent it. Passed in 2003, the federal Child Rights Act (CRA, 2003) prohibits marriage under the age of 18. Child marriage blatantly violates Nigeria’s constitution as well as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Human Rights Watch says the states using Islamic legal systems have failed to execute the Child Rights Act and continue endangering young girls. In Sharia-legislated states, child marriage is justified through their traditional grounds, meaning they believe that adulthood begins with puberty. “It is disturbing that almost two decades after the Child Rights Act was passed, Nigerian girls are still being forced into child marriages,” said Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch on the HRW website.

External Influences

Married girls within the Imo and Kano states face heavy influences from traditional practices and family relations. In August and September 2021, Human Rights Watch discovered that child brides in this northern Nigerian region are “denied their fundamental rights to education, a safe dwelling, freedom from violence and often do not have access to adequate health care.”

Due to the lack of protection for adolescent females, their families force them into marriages, leaving these young girls with little bodily autonomy or individual rights. Global Citizen states that overall, Nigeria’s child marriage crisis stems from gender inequality, religious practices, patriarchal authority, family poverty, stigma around teenage pregnancy and a lack of enforcement of legal protections.

Positive Changes

The Spotlight Initiative, an active partnership between Europe and the United Nations (UN), supports ending all forms of harmful gender-based practices globally. Between 2019 and 2020, the European Union (EU) invested $35 million which was distributed to developing countries through five main categories: policy, institution, prevention, data and women’s movement and civil society. Additionally, in 2020, the Katsina State House Assembly passed the Child Protection Bill which ensures commitment and improvements towards ending child marriage. In November 2022, the Katsina State House Assembly eventually voted to adopt the Child Protection Bill, guaranteeing girls the necessary protection against sexual violence.

Organizations Fighting to End Child Marriage in Nigeria

Created in 2000, the Bella Foundation for Maternal and Child Care is a community-focused grassroots organization in Imude, Ojo, in Logos State. Bella Foundation decided to focus its work on ending child marriage in the Ojo Local Government because “it is one of the places in Lagos State with the highest number of cases,” founder Bella Akhagba reports. Akhagba believes that the solutions start with educating and empowering women, which is why the Bella Foundation trained 10 women specifically to speak as advocates to young girls in Nigerian schools. The team has received training in various skills so that “they are empowered to generate income for themselves and their families since poverty is one of the greatest causes of child marriage in South West.”

Bella Foundation advocates for policy changes and promotes the improvement of female health by spreading awareness within schools and communities. “Through mentorship meetings with the girls of Ojo, we have been able to change their mindsets and attitudes,” Akhagba added.

It’s Never Your Fault is another organization making efforts to end child marriage in Nigeria. Started by a group of friends in 2018, this nonprofit is attempting to ban child marriage in all 36 states across Nigeria by advocating for a change in legislation, since it is a loophole in their constitution’s legal jargon that allows it. Susan Ubogu, Kurdirat Abiola and Temitayo Asuni felt compelled to take action against child marriage in Nigeria and created their campaign #BanChildMarriageNigeria with hopes of changing the law via a Change.org petition. Since creating the petition on December 18, 2018, it has obtained 473,640 of its 500,000 needed signatures.

The organization petitions as a way to campaign for change, raise awareness, and “give a voice to girls who couldn’t speak for themselves.” From its platform, it began a #RaiseTheAge petition to try and urge the government to amend the constitution. Ubogu, Kurdirat and Asuni have begun focusing on workshops surrounding gender equality and partnering with Nigerian celebrities to raise awareness. In the future, it plans to work directly with victims of social injustice and find ways to rehabilitate or reintegrate these women back into society ethically.

Looking Ahead

The current trends suggest that there is a need for Nigeria to address contributing factors to child marriage to achieve positive change. Efforts could involve advocating for and implementing laws and policies that safeguard girls’ rights. Prioritizing the protection of children’s rights, fostering gender equality and empowering communities to challenge entrenched cultural norms are essential steps. By cultivating a society that values the well-being of its youth, Nigeria can potentially pave the path to a brighter future.

– Samantha J. Rentfro
Photo: Flickr