The Nasarawa State Government says it will not let any girl be forced out of school. It has pledged a total war on early marriage and promised more investment in girls’ education.
The announcement came at the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child in Lafia. The event’s themes were “Ending Girls’ Early Marriage” and “End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Mr Christopher Ogiri, Director of Schools in the Ministry of Education, spoke for the Commissioner. He said early marriage robs girls of their right to learn. “Every girl deserves the opportunity to acquire quality education and fulfil her potential without being forced into early marriage,” he said.
What the state has delivered
Ogiri said the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) has transformed public schools under Governor Abdullahi Sule. The project has so far provided:
- 390 solar-powered boreholes to ease water scarcity
- 2,309 gender-sensitive toilets
- 549 renovated classrooms
- 148 new classrooms, with 30 brand-new schools underway
More than 52,000 girls now receive cash incentives to enrol and stay in school. Over 10,000 others are getting life-skills training. That brings the number of girls supported to about 62,000. An alternative education component also offers vulnerable out-of-school girls a second chance.
Ogiri urged school heads and School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) members to protect these facilities. He said school authorities would answer for any vandalism or misuse.
He added that government cannot win this fight alone. He asked parents, caregivers, traditional and religious leaders, teachers and development partners to work together.
Addressing the girls directly, he said: “Your future matters and you deserve every opportunity to succeed.”
AGILE coordinator seeks parents’ support
The State AGILE Project Coordinator, Hajiya Aisha Isoga, said the project would deliver results through classroom renovation and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. These, she said, will help enrol, support and keep girls in school.
She urged parents to motivate and protect their children. She also asked religious and traditional rulers and civil society groups to step up advocacy.
Faith leaders reject child marriage
Malam Aliyu Suleiman spoke for Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI). He said the Quran, the Sunnah and Islamic jurisprudence give no backing to child marriage. He added that Islam makes seeking knowledge compulsory for both men and women. As an example, he cited Aisha, wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), a leading scholar of her time.
“If you educate a girl, you educate a nation,” he said. He argued that no father has an Islamic reason to marry off a daughter who is still seeking knowledge.
Pastor Austin Peter Humbugs of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) said the biblical basis of marriage supports adult unions, not child marriage.
He listed poverty, gender inequality, lack of schooling, harmful traditions and weak law enforcement as drivers of the practice. According to him, it leads to school dropout, maternal deaths, domestic violence and lifelong poverty.
He called on parents, leaders and government to enforce 18 as the minimum marriage age. The new motto, he said, should be “Education First, Marriage Later.”
The event drew a Special Adviser to the Governor, women’s groups, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, teachers, parents and students. They pledged to protect girls and keep them in school.
