A member of the Yobe State Children Parliament, Khadija Badamasi, has asked the state government and community leaders to end early and forced marriages.
She made the appeal in an interview as part of activities to end this year’s International Day of the Girl Child in Abuja.
Badamasi, a girl champion from Yobe State for Save the Children International, advocated for education for the girl-child.
She said: “Girls in my community face a lot when it comes to early and forced marriage. Child marriage has caused more harm than good in my society today. It violates children’s rights and places them at high risk of violence, exploitation and abuse.
“I want every girl in my community to be educated. Education is a human right and every girl should be allowed to enjoy the right to be in school and finish her school before she is married.
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“Girls in my community should not be on the street hawking, they must be allowed to go to school.”
SCI Nigeria’s Director of Advocacy Campaigns, Communication and Media, Mr. Amanuel Mamo, called on governments at all levels to develop and fund national action plans to end child marriage and other forms of violence against children.
According to him, Nigeria is among the countries with the highest number of child marriages and out-of-school children, as the number of girls marrying each year is estimated at 12 million – two million of them married before their 15th birthday.
While commending states that have passed the Child Protection Law, he urged others to follow suit.