Human Development and Health Advocates have warned of a bleak future for Nigeria if girl’s education, health and overall human development are not urgently improved.
The warning followed the report of a Special Nigeria Scorecard to mark the 2013 International Day of the Girl Child which highlighted the link between poor educational attainment of girls, forced ‘marriage’ of underage children and under age child bearing in the country.
The scorecard was published by Africa Health, Human & Social Development Information Service (Afri-Dev. Info) in partnership with Africa Coalition on Maternal Newborn and Child Health, and Pan African Campaign Against Forced Marriage of Under Age Children.
The advocates called for urgent national and state level action including improved policy and investment by Presidency and National Assembly, in State Governors and State Houses of Assembly to address the disturbing trend in the report.
According to the report, eight states – Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Jigawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Katsina, and Gombe have the worst performance across all indicators.
The indicators included; Lowest girl child education; Highest female illiteracy; Highest adolescent girl ‘marriage’, Highest under 18 child bearing and Highest under 15 child bearing placing them in the highest risk category for maternal death and injury.
The Scorecards also revealed that although worst performing states in terms of Girl Child Education are from the North it’s a serious national problem affecting all states.
Ebonyi state which placed 12 for highest percentage of girl children not in secondary school – scores worse than North Central, North East and North West states of Nasarawa , Benue, Adamawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi and Kwara .
Similarly for the number of adolescent girls in ‘marriage’ Bayelsa State (The state where President Goodluck Jonathan was Deputy Governor, and Governor) is at number 13 scoring worse than Adamawa Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa.
In the indicator of females (aged 20 to 24 years) but whom had a live birth before age of 18 years – Bayelsa again at number 13 scores worse than Adamawa Taraba and Niger .
The three northern states score better than Delta; Rivers; and Anambra.
Speaking to the scorecard, lead advocate for the group, Rotimi Sankore stated that the scale of the problems highlighted in the report are the kind of problems that the Governors Forum should be giving their most urgent attention to – especially from those 8 Northern states where it is obvious that the educational, health and overall human development of girls is key to their development.
He noted that there is need for evidence based policy making in Nigeria, adding that the problem goes beyond Senator Ahmed Yerima, who is an advocate of child marriage.
“People like him only make headlines because we expect that a former state Governor and Senator should dedicate himself to creating an environment that protects underage girls from abuse and exploitation, rather than facilitating a negative environment for human development.”
Even in the best performing states, Sankore noted that there is still cause for concern, citing Edo and Ekiti states with the best secondary school attendance for girls which still have up to 16 percent of girls not in secondary education.
“ Lagos, Ekiti and Imo states with the least number of under age girls forced into marriage still have over 1 percent of girls in this terrible condition of forced domestic work, and sexual abuse; and Imo, Abia, Abuja, Enugu and Edo with the least number of under age child bearing still have between 0.8 percent and almost 6 percent of under age girls giving birth.
“ If 65 percent of teenage boys were forced into under age marriage with women old enough to be their grand mothers as in the worst performing state, there would be a national emergency. If 66 percent of teenage boys were forced into fathering children for older women as in the worst performing state, there would be a national emergency. The hypocrisy on gender equality and women’s development needs to end to ensure improved health and sustainable human development for millions of girls , “ Sankore stated.
