By Atlantic Reports

The National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) Nigeria has urged governments to strengthen enforcement against child marriage, fund protection services and ensure that girls complete secondary education.

Its National President, Princess Edna Azura, made the call in a statement issued on Sunday to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.

Azura described child marriage as a national concern that disrupts education, threatens girls’ health and limits their future opportunities.

“A girl’s childhood is not ours to give away,” she said.

She called for funded, measurable interventions, including enforcement of the minimum marriage age of 18, financial assistance for vulnerable families and accessible support for girls facing early marriage.

Constitutional Reform

Azura urged the National Assembly to remove Section 29(4)(b) of the Constitution, saying its wording could encourage interpretations that weaken child protection.

The provision deems a married woman to be of full age specifically for the purpose of renouncing Nigerian citizenship under Section 29(1). It does not itself establish a minimum marriage age. sccr.gov.ng

The council wants that exception removed alongside stronger enforcement of child protection laws.

Azura also called for improved birth and marriage registration, safe shelters, helplines and free legal assistance for girls at risk.

She appealed to parents, traditional rulers and religious leaders to support girls’ education, stressing that poverty and concerns about safety should not deprive children of the opportunity to grow and make decisions about their futures.

“We do not point fingers at any family, any region or any faith,” she said.

“We ask only that every Nigerian, and every arm of government keep the promise our laws already make: that a child will be allowed to be a child.”

One in Three Young Women Married Before 18

Azura said more than 24 million Nigerian women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday.

She also cited figures showing that 33.4 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 married before 18, with prevalence approaching 50 per cent in the North-East and North-West.

Those percentage figures are consistent with UNICEF’s summary of the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. They measure the experience of young women aged 20 to 24, rather than the proportion of all girls currently married. www.unicef.org

The council identified poverty and limited access to education as major drivers of child marriage. It requested dedicated government funding and annual progress reports towards ending the practice by 2030.

Linking Girls to Protection Services

Azura said NCWS would mobilise its state chapters and affiliated organisations to identify girls at risk and connect them with education, healthcare and protection services.

The council also plans to work with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and state governments to monitor implementation of the Costed National Action Plan to End Child Marriage.

Observed annually on October 11, the International Day of the Girl Child highlights girls’ rights and the barriers they face. The 2026 theme calls for an end to child marriage and investment in girls’ rights. www.un.org

For the council, progress must be demonstrated through girls remaining in school, receiving protection when threatened with early marriage and accessing support that allows them to determine their futures.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.