First Lady Seeks Government Support to End Child Marriage

•EU envoy raises the alarm over 129m out-of-school girls globally

Deji Elumoye and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on families, communities, leaders and policymakers to support efforts to end child marriage in Nigeria, urging increased investment in girls’ education, healthcare and general wellbeing.

The First Lady made the call in her message to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, celebrated under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”.

She said every girl deserved the freedom to learn, grow and pursue her dreams without discrimination, violence or harmful practices that could limit her future.

“I encourage families, communities, leaders, and policymakers to protect the rights of every girl, end child marriage, and invest in her education, health, and general well-being. When girls thrive, families prosper, communities grow stronger and nations advance,” she said.

Mrs Tinubu also celebrated the strength, potential, leadership and voices of girls worldwide, wishing them a happy International Day of the Girl Child.

Meanwhile, the Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),  Gautier Mignot, has raised the alarm over the scale of educational exclusion and child marriage globally, disclosing 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 United Nations (UN) assessments.

He spoke yesterday at the grand finale of the 2026 National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)-EU inter-secondary school debate in Abuja, organised to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.

The debate, which featured four secondary schools, focused on the motion: “Empowering the Girl Child Is More Effective Than Punishing Offenders in Ending Child Marriage.”

Government Day Secondary School, Dutse, Abuja, emerged overall winner, scoring 89 per cent to clinch the N1 million grand prize. The school, 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 and won N250,000. Baptist High School, Kubwa, came fourth and received N100,000.

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

He 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.

The envoy 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.

He also pledged that the winning team would visit the EU Delegation to learn about its activities and gain a deeper understanding of the bloc’s development and gender-equality initiatives.

In his remarks, the Director General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, urged governments at all levels to increase investment in public education, saying the performances of the students demonstrated that public schools could produce outstanding academic results despite funding challenges.

“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 stressed.

He said students from public schools had 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.

The NILDS director general called on government institutions, private organisations, development partners and the media to support initiatives promoting girls’ education and protecting their rights.

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

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

He said the institute was 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.