Globally, over 12 million girls below the age of 18 are forced into marriage every year. This translates to 23 underage girls sliding into child marriage every minute.  Child marriage is any formal or informal union between a child under 18 and an adult or another child. The practice remains a development issue, common in low-income countries.  This practice constitutes a severe violation of human rights, depriving girls of reaching their full potential by restricting their access to quality education, necessary exposure, and other fundamental rights. Early marriage not only hinders a girl’s personal development but also exacerbates broader social and economic inequalities, including gender-based discrimination, limited access to leadership roles, unequal employment opportunities, and reduced earning potential. Since 2013, child marriage has seen a significant decrease compared to the last 25 years; however, its prevalence remains a thing of concern. 

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Why Does Child Marriage Happen? 

The persistence of child marriage continues to spark curiosity, with varying reasons across countries identified as its primary drivers. These drivers include poverty, lack of educational opportunity, social norms and practices, and economic insecurity. Among these factors, poverty has proven to be chief among them, as most parents in low-income countries leverage early marriage as a coping mechanism for poverty. This is evidenced by the 40% of girls in low-income countries being married off as children. In these regions, families force their daughters into marriage to ease their economic burden, or with the intent of receiving income. Also, the perception that marriage secures and protects the girls' future further drives this practice. 

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Pre-adult marriage has proven to have several negative implications, including a high number of school dropouts and several health risks. A study by the Ford Foundation revealed a correlation between high child marriage and HIV infection in many countries. The study further revealed that in the most affected regions, girls aged 15 to 17 are four times more likely to contract HIV compared to boys of the same age, highlighting the danger of this practice. Although this harmful practice has declined over the years, largely due to increased parental awareness and the availability of information, a significant portion of people in these low-income countries continue to practice it.

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Child Marriage: The Nigerian Case

Two decades after the passing of the Child Rights Act in Nigeria, coupled with the rectification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which both seek to safeguard children from all forms of discrimination, exploitation, and abuse, child marriage remains prevalent in the country. With Nigeria operating a tripartite legal system, which includes civil, customary, and Islamic laws (Sharia law) functioning simultaneously, contradictions resulting from such a system have continued to complicate and challenge the illegality of underage marriage in the country. For instance, the practice remains prevalent in northern Nigeria, where 12 of the region’s 19 states have adopted and are implementing Sharia law, which does not explicitly prohibit the practice. This legal framework, combined with cultural norms, poses significant challenges to addressing the issue in the region.

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Figure 1: Prevalence of Child Marriage by Geopolitical  Region 

Source: World Bank document

Evidence from Figure 1 above shows that child brides are typical across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, although dominant in northern Nigeria, particularly the north-west. 78% of girls in the north of Nigeria are married off before turning 18, with Bauchi State leading this number. Generally, the prevalence of these marriages in Nigeria is alarming, driven by factors including the belief that girls are inferior to boys, the high poverty rate, social norms and cultural beliefs, religion, and, most recently, armed conflict and violence against girls. Religion, particularly Islam, practised by a wide range of people living in the north, remains a key driver of this practice. 

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While  Islam does not specify an exact age for marriage eligibility, it allows for a child to be betrothed as early as puberty. Many adherents cite the historical marriage of a significant religious figure to a young girl at the age of 9, asserting that any Muslim who marries a girl of nine years or older is following the teachings and practices associated with this figure. This interpretation, combined with the close interweaving of religious, ethical, and moral values in Northern Nigeria, adds complexity to addressing infant marriage in the country. In parts of southern Nigeria, where Christianity is the dominant religion, child marriage thrives, especially in rural areas or in communities with traditional practices. 

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Alongside religion, underage marriage is seen as a measure to preserve a girl's virtue, safeguard family honour, and control promiscuity. To its practitioners, early marriage is a means of preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancies, which are strongly stigmatised in many parts of Nigeria. Cultural expectations and social norms pressure families to uphold strict moral conduct. Whatever the case, providing a safe and supportive environment free from limiting practices is paramount. No child should be deprived of her childhood, education, health, or aspirations due to religion, socio-cultural norms, or circumstances of birth. 

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Nigeria’s government, both federal and state, has made applaudable efforts over time to address underage matrimonial bonds despite the conflicting nature of its legal system. These efforts include the Katsina and Kano States House of Assembly voting and adopting the Child Protection Bill in 2020 and 2022, respectively. The bill, although yet to be signed into law, will guarantee adequate protection for girls and recognise 18 years as the official age for marriage. 

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Another government effort is the National Strategy to End Child Marriage 2016-2021, launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Social Development. The strategy targets reducing infant marriage by 40% by 2020 and ending the practice entirely by 2030. It also focuses on changing harmful cultural norms, and supporting programs to increase girls' access to education. and provide young women with substantial economic opportunities. 

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While the National Strategy to End Child Marriage successfully improved advocacy, raised awareness, and mobilised stakeholders, it did not achieve its core goal of reducing pre-adult marriage or enhancing educational access for young girls. This shortfall is apparent in the northern region, where many young girls remain out of school and are still forcefully married off. The northern region, which has the highest number of out-of-school children and child brides in Nigeria, underscores a negative correlation between education and underage marriage. This trend highlights education’s potential as a key strategy to end child marriage in the country.

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Education and Child Marriage

Education is a powerful tool capable of ending child marriage and empowering girls to reach their full potential. Lack of educational opportunities both drives and results from infant marriage, creating a challenging cycle. For instance, some girls may marry because they lack schooling opportunities, while others are forced to leave school for marriage.

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Early marriage remains a primary barrier to educational attainment and completion for girls in Africa. Keeping girls in school is a proven strategy to prevent early marriage by delaying early unions and equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to pursue expanded economic opportunities and build a brighter future. Providing twelve years of quality education for a girl not only helps prevent prepubescent marriage for her, but also creates a generational ripple effect. Educated women are more likely to value and support their daughters' education, breaking the cycle of early marriage and fostering long-term societal change.

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On the contrary, fewer educational opportunities for girls do not only result in childhood matrimony; it also erodes earnings and standards of living, triggers a high fertility rate and population growth, and causes low health and nutrition. Underage unions generally have dire implications for the economy. According to a World Bank report, limited educational opportunities for girls and child marriage will cost a country between $15 trillion and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings. 

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Educating a girl child remains a formidable and effective strategy for ending early marriage. Its capability of doing so is seen in areas including changing family perceptions of girls' value, combating childhood matrimony in conflict zones,  increasing knowledge and girls’ rights awareness, and reducing societal pressure for girls to get married through providing economic opportunities for women to strive.

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The transformative power of education is particularly evident in the following:

• Changing Family Perceptions of Girls Value: In certain parts of Nigeria, girls are often envisioned as an economic burden, and early marriage is seen as a way to alleviate that responsibility. However, education can be crucial in challenging and changing these perceptions. With adequate education, girls and women can be empowered to demonstrate their potential as valuable contributors to their families' income and well-being. Educated girls can showcase their worth beyond traditional marriage roles, actively shape their futures, and positively impact their communities. 
• Combatting Child Marriage in Conflict Zones: Since 2009, the northern region of Nigeria has faced ongoing conflict due to Boko Haram insurgency and widespread banditry. According to the World Bank, early marriage tends to rise in conflict-affected areas as parents see it as a survival strategy. However, education can play a crucial role in addressing this issue by providing a safe and supportive environment for girls, helping them avoid the pressures of early marriage. Ensuring girls stay in school in these conflict zones is essential, as it keeps their minds occupied and offers them a pathway to a better future.

• Increasing Knowledge and Awareness: Education equips girls with essential knowledge about their rights, health, and opportunities. It empowers them to recognise the harms of early marriage and resist societal or familial pressures to marry prematurely. With education, girls gain the confidence and tools to make informed decisions, such as choosing when and whom to marry, enhancing their well-being. Educated girls are better positioned to shape their futures and contribute positively to society by taking control of their lives.
• Fostering Respect and Dignity for Women and Girls: As girls gain education and skills, societal perceptions of them evolve beyond traditional domestic roles, prompting a shift in cultural practices and acknowledging them as individuals with inherent rights and limitless potential rather than mere commodities.

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While education plays a crucial role in ending child marriage in Nigeria, more targeted government efforts are needed to ensure girls remain in school and have access to quality education. This includes addressing barriers such as poverty, cultural norms, and inadequate infrastructure. Also, to ensure girls are not forced into marriage for reasons cutting across financial pressures, societal norms, or traditional beliefs, key actions, including reducing the cost of education for girls, enforcing laws to protect child rights, raising awareness about the benefits of educating girls, and linking education to employment opportunities by creating more flexible jobs for women, remain crucial.

In addition, to ensure girls continue education in high-conflict areas, the government must adopt and establish temporary learning spaces for children displaced by conflict and initiate radio instruction programs to reach a wider sample size, especially those in extreme conflict areas where traditional or temporal schooling may not be feasible. 

Furthermore, developing initiatives such as informal accelerated learning programs that must be based on literacy, numeracy, and psychosocial support is paramount. A gap in education due to conflict or any other reason will cost the future generation, particularly girls, the income, equity, health, and psychological well-being education provides, eventually resulting in early marriage. These efforts are essential to encourage families to prioritise education and empower girls to remain in school and attain their full potential.

Conclusion

Every minute, 23 girls around the world are forced into marriage, driven by factors such as poverty, religion, cultural beliefs, and societal norms. In Nigeria, the complexity of the tripartite legal system further complicates the fight against childhood matrimony, creating ambiguity around its legality. However, education has proven to be a powerful tool in ending early-age marriage by shifting family perceptions, expanding economic opportunities for girls, and increasing awareness about their rights. For education to fully achieve its capability of eradicating child marriage, girls must remain in school. 

To achieve this, the government must keep girls in school by reducing the cost of education, enforcing laws to protect children's rights, and providing economic opportunities for educated women through increased employment prospects. Also, the government must adopt and establish temporary learning spaces for children displaced by conflict and initiate radio instruction programs to reach a wider sample size, especially those in areas of extreme conflict where traditional or temporal schooling may not be feasible. These measures are critical to breaking the cycle of juvenile marriage and empowering girls to shape their futures. 

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References

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Girls Not Brides. (2023). 3 ways girls' education can help end child marriage. https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/articles/3-ways-girls-education-can-help-end-child-marriage/

Girls Not Brides. (2016). National strategy to end child marriage in Nigeria (2016–2021). https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/resource-centre/national-strategy-end-child-marriage-nigeria-2016-2021/

Girls Not Brides. (2023). Why it happens. https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/why-child-marriage-happens/

Girls Not Brides. (2023). Prevalence rates. https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/child-marriage-atlas/regions-and-countries/nigeria/

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World Bank. (2022). Conflict and girl child marriage. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099224508032213918/pdf/IDU0ea79b47b0ab0b049730a3270150a58640978.pdf

World Bank. (2018). Missed opportunities: The high cost of not educating girls. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/publication/missed-opportunities-the-high-cost-of-not-educating-girls

Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC). (1999). Child’s Rights Act. https://placng.org/lawsofnigeria/laws/C50.pdf

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