Over 78 per cent of Northern Girls Marry before 18 Years, NGO Report Says

• El-kanemi Memorial Foundation, an NGO, revealed that 78 per cent of girls in Northern Nigeria marry before turning 18 years old
• Despite national and international laws against child marriage, 44% of girls in Nigeria marry before their 18th birthday
• Abba Kyari, the foundation's executive director urged emirs in Northern Nigeria to join the campaign against child marriage

Damaturu, Yobe-El-kanemi Memorial Foundation, an NGO, has revealed that 78% of girls in Northern Nigeria marry before turning 18 years old.

Speaking in Damaturu on Thursday, June 6, Abba Kyari, the executive director of the foundation, stated that child marriage is more prevalent in the North-West and North-East of Nigeria, with 48% of girls married by age 15 and 78% married by age 18, based on available data.

Kyari noted that despite national and international laws against child marriage, 44% of girls in Nigeria marry before their 18th birthday, depriving them of their childhood and future, as reported by the Nigerian Tribune.

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Kyari explained that the foundation organised a dialogue on ending child marriage in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states, in collaboration with UNFPA, under the theme 'Combat Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies'.

He emphasised the need for action to protect girls' rights and prevent child marriage, which limits education, increases the risk of domestic violence, and leads to serious health complications.

However, other findings as reported by Leadership indicate that 30 percent of girls in Nigeria are wedded before turning 18, with 12 percent being married off before reaching 15 years of age.

Emirs urged to tackle girl-child marriage

Kyari urged emirs in Northern Nigeria to join the campaign against child marriage, giving girls the chance to reach their potential.

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He also highlighted that the Boko Haram insurgency has exacerbated human rights violations and gender-based violence, depriving children of the ability to make decisions about their lives.

His words:

“Girl-child marriages predispose girls to emotional, social, and psychological trauma, hindering their potential and future.

“The practice violates the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and hinders the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of eradicating poverty, hunger, and discrimination.”

Yobe’s first-class Emir dies

In another report, the Emir of Tikau in Yobe, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Ibn-Grema, was pronounced dead.

The emir’s younger brother, Alhaji Abubakar Talba, confirmed the death in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu, Yobe state capital on Saturday, May 11.

Legit.ng reported that the monarch died in Potiskum at about 4pm on Friday, May 10.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng