EU Envoy Raises Alarm over 129m Global Out-of-School Girls, 12m Child Marriages Annually

* As Dutse school wins NILDS-EU debate, takes home N1m

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ambassador Gautier Mignot, has raised the alarm over the scale of educational exclusion and child marriage worldwide.

He disclosed that approximately 129 million girls remain out of school, while about 12 million are affected by early and forced marriage annually.

Mignot warned that at the current rate of progress, ending child marriage could take 300 years, citing assessments by the United Nations. 

He called for targeted investments and interventions to tackle the structural inequalities that expose girls to early marriage and deny them access to education.

The envoy spoke on Monday at the grand finale of the 2026 National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)-EU inter-secondary school debate held at the NILDS headquarters in Abuja to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.

Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, Abuja, emerged overall winner of the competition, securing 89 per cent and taking home the grand prize of N1 million.

The debate, which focused on the motion, ‘Empowering the Girl Child Is More Effective Than Punishing Offenders in Ending Child Marriage,’ brought together four secondary schools to examine the measures required to eliminate the harmful practice.

Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, which argued in favour of punishing offenders, defeated Government Science Secondary School, Maitama; Baptist High School, Kubwa; and Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali.

Government Science Secondary School, Maitama, came second with 76 per cent and received N500,000, while Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali, finished third with N250,000. Baptist High School, Kubwa, came fourth and received N100,000.

Speaking at the event, Mignot said the EU’s Gender Action Plan III was designed to advance gender equality through international partnerships, with at least 85 per cent of EU-funded projects expected to incorporate gender considerations.

According to him, the EU supports programmes addressing gender-based violence, adolescent reproductive health and girls’ education, recognising gender equality as an essential component of societal development.

He described the debate as an opportunity to strengthen advocacy, confidence and leadership skills among young people, particularly girls, while encouraging them to pursue equal opportunities.

The envoy also pledged that the winning team would visit the EU Delegation to learn about its activities and deepen its understanding of the European bloc’s development and gender-equality initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, called on governments at all levels to increase investment in public education, saying the performances of the students demonstrated the capacity of public schools to produce outstanding academic results despite funding challenges.

He commended the participants for their intelligence, confidence and strong argumentative skills, noting that the competition had demonstrated the intellectual abilities and potential of students from different backgrounds.

“The impressive performances of these students show that public schools are capable of producing outstanding students despite challenges associated with inadequate investment in education.

“The children of the less privileged are gifted, and what we tend to assume is not always the reality,” he said.

Sulaiman said students from public schools had also distinguished themselves in the institute’s quiz competitions over the past 11 years, expressing optimism that sustained investment would help them develop their abilities and compete favourably with their counterparts elsewhere.

He urged governments to provide the necessary resources to strengthen public education and ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds had access to opportunities to realise their potential.

The NILDS director-general also stressed the need to empower girls through education, arguing that the country’s future depended significantly on providing women and girls with opportunities to contribute meaningfully to society.

He called on government institutions, private organisations, development partners and the media to support initiatives that promote girls’ education and protect their rights.

Sulaiman specifically urged the media to highlight the achievements of female students and sustain advocacy against harmful practices that undermine their development.

He said NILDS had supported legislative and policy initiatives aimed at addressing female genital mutilation, gender-based violence and early marriage.

According to him, the institute is working with UN Women, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and development partners to advance the protection of girls’ rights and promote awareness of policies and legislation designed to improve their welfare.

In her reaction, Grace Onuoha, lead speaker of the winning Government Day Secondary School, Dutse team, expressed delight at the school’s performance.

She pledged to sensitise her classmates and friends of the dangers of child marriage and encourage girls to speak out against abuse.

The competition brought together students from Government Day Secondary School, Dutse; Government Science Secondary School, Maitama; Baptist High School, Kubwa; and Ambassador Global Academy, Kwali, to examine the roles of education, accountability and legal enforcement in ending child marriage.