UNICEF, stakeholders seek end to child marriage
By Hajara Usman
Ahead of the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders have intensified calls for an end to child marriage and increased investment in the girl-child, identifying education as a critical tool for sustainable societal development.
The call was made during an advocacy engagement organised by the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, covering its operational areas in Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau and Adamawa states.
Speaking at the engagement, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Field Office for UNICEF Bauchi, expressed concern over the prevalence of early and child marriage, particularly in Bauchi and Gombe states, warning that the practice undermines girls’ potential and limits their opportunities to contribute meaningfully to society.
Speaking on the theme, “Ending Child Marriage and Investing in the Girl Child,” Rafique stressed the need for concerted efforts by governments, communities and development partners to protect girls from harmful practices and ensure they have access to education and other essential services.
“If child marriage will not end, the girls will not get the right opportunities to grow to their best potential. And if girls are behind, then the nation will be behind,” she said.
She emphasised that safeguarding the rights of the girl-child requires a coordinated approach involving the education, health, nutrition and social protection sectors, alongside traditional institutions, civil society organisations, state governments and lawmakers.
According to her, ensuring universal access to quality and inclusive education, including provisions for children with disabilities, remains one of the most effective interventions for protecting girls and empowering them to achieve their full potential.
Rafique noted that keeping girls in primary and secondary schools would help delay early marriage, equip them with skills for meaningful careers and enable them to contribute to the development of their communities and the nation.
She also called for positive parenting and stronger community engagement, urging parents and traditional leaders to challenge harmful cultural practices and promote decisions that safeguard the rights and well-being of girls.
Also speaking, Ladi Alabi, Child Protection Specialist at the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, called for a holistic approach to girl-child development, stressing the need to address the social, cultural, educational and health challenges confronting girls.
Alabi noted that certain sociocultural practices had continued to undermine children’s rights and development over the years, explaining that UNICEF was working to bring these issues to the forefront of its advocacy and child-protection activities.
She highlighted the health risks associated with early marriage and pregnancy, particularly complications during childbirth that can result in obstetric fistula, including vesicovaginal fistula (VVF).
The child protection specialist stressed the need to empower girls through education, noting that it would equip them with the knowledge, confidence and skills required to overcome barriers, make informed decisions and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.
In his remarks, Mr. Abdulrazaq Adulmumini, representing the Gombe State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development, emphasised the need to extend efforts to end child marriage to wards, villages and traditional institutions.
He pledged that the ministry would present the communiqué from the engagement to the chairmen of Gombe State’s 11 local government areas to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and action against child marriage.
Highlights of the event included panel discussions involving traditional leaders and other stakeholders, as well as interactive sessions with schoolchildren.
Participants expressed concern that harmful sociocultural norms continued to deprive girls of their rights, expose them to danger and prevent them from realising their full potential.
