Some educators, religious leaders, and policymakers have renewed calls for an end to early child marriage and for greater investment in girl-child education, stressing that empowering young girls benefits the entire nation.
Speaking at a sensitization/wellness seminar on Girl-Child Education in Abuja, representatives from various sectors emphasised the need to change harmful cultural perceptions and remove barriers that prevent girls from completing their education.
A representative of the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Angela Nkwocha emphasized the need for young girls to be involved in policy decisions especially the ones that affects them.
Mrs. Nkwocha explained that the Ministry, in collaboration with international partners such as UNESCO and UNICEF, were taking steps to ensure girls remain in school.
“We must stop early child marriage so that girls can acquire education,” she said. “We go into rural areas, speak to communities in the language they understand, and ask the girls directly what they need. We can’t discuss their future without their voices in the room.”
She noted that involving traditional and religious leaders has been key to reaching grassroots communities.
“When traditional rulers speak, the community listens. We equip them with the right message so they can carry it back home for effective results,” she added.
The Chairman of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) in the FCT, Reverend Timothy Amakom, said many Nigerians still hold the outdated belief that educating girls was a waste.
“That notion is wrong,” he insisted. “We have seen women excel as ministers, commissioners, and even international leaders like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. One day, a woman will be president of Nigeria.”
The Keynote speaker at the event, Dr. Nestor Ande-Philip, a lecturer at the University of Abuja, stressed that in some communities, girls are still denied education and pushed into “early marriage, servitude, and other activities inimical to their development.”
“We must engage all levels of government, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to ensure every girl has access to quality education,” he said.
The participants at the event gave the commitment to strengthen advocacy, remove socio-economic barriers, and support policies that ensure girls can pursue their education free from discrimination and early marriage pressures.
