By Nkechi Eze
The Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) has called on the Federal Government, traditional and religious leaders, families and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to end child marriage and protect girls’ rights, warning that early marriage and pregnancy continue to undermine girls’ education, health and future opportunities.
IRIAD made the call in a statement commemorating the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on October 11, with this year’s theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”
The statement, signed by Princess Abijah Hamman-Obels, Director of The Electoral Hub, stressed that ending child marriage requires more than public awareness, urging stakeholders to strengthen the implementation of protective laws, expand access to education and healthcare, and invest in programmes that empower girls to participate in leadership and national development.
According to the organisation, child marriage deprives girls of their childhood, educational opportunities and personal choices, while exposing them to violence, early pregnancy and motherhood before they are physically and emotionally prepared.
IRIAD expressed concern over Nigeria’s maternal mortality burden, citing an estimated maternal mortality ratio of 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, and emphasised the need to protect girls from early and forced pregnancy while ensuring access to quality, adolescent-friendly healthcare.
It noted that early motherhood often interrupts education, limits economic opportunities, increases dependency and perpetuates poverty, adding that pregnancy-related complications remain a major threat to adolescent girls.
“No girl should lose her life because she was pushed into motherhood before she was ready. No girl should have to sacrifice her education and future for a marriage she did not choose,” the statement said.
The organisation maintained that Nigeria could not achieve inclusive and sustainable development if girls were denied opportunities to learn, participate in decision-making and assume leadership positions.
It argued that the challenge was not whether girls were capable of leading but whether society was creating the necessary conditions for them to realise their potential.
IRIAD therefore called on the government at all levels to move beyond policy commitments by strengthening and enforcing laws against child marriage, violence and exploitation, while investing in quality education, healthcare, social protection and skills development.
It urged parents and families to keep girls in school, support their aspirations and reject practices that force them into marriage or motherhood prematurely.
Traditional and religious leaders were also encouraged to use their influence to challenge harmful cultural and social norms that normalise child marriage, while ministries responsible for education, women’s affairs and health were urged to strengthen programmes that protect girls, improve school retention and provide appropriate healthcare.
The organisation further called on civil society groups to intensify community education, document rights violations, support girls at risk and hold relevant authorities accountable. Development partners, it added, should invest in sustainable, locally driven initiatives that expand girls’ access to education, healthcare, protection and economic opportunities.
IRIAD also emphasised the need to protect girls with disabilities and those from marginalised communities, ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights and opportunities are not overlooked.
Describing girls as active participants in development rather than mere beneficiaries, the organisation said they should be recognised as rights-holders, innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates and future community and national leaders.
“Your voice matters. Your dreams matter. Your education matters. Your future matters,” IRIAD said in its message to girls, urging them to understand their rights, seek trusted support when threatened and continue speaking out on issues affecting their lives.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to gender equity, women’s empowerment, human rights, civic participation and inclusive leadership through research, public education and evidence-based advocacy.
It said its programmes on gender, women’s rights and justice, as well as human rights and the rule of law, were designed to amplify the voices of women and girls and promote systems that protect their rights.
IRIAD also highlighted its Women Collective Hub and Women Democracy and Accountability Network as platforms for strengthening networking, collective action, leadership and participation among women and girls.
The organisation stressed that investment in girls was both a human rights obligation and a strategic investment in healthier families, stronger communities and Nigeria’s future.
It called for sustained action to ensure that commitments to girls’ rights translate into tangible results, insisting that the country could not pursue development while girls were denied education, exposed to preventable maternal health risks or excluded from decisions affecting their lives.
The International Day of the Girl Child was established by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 66/170, adopted on December 19, 2011, with October 11 designated for its annual observance. The day seeks to promote girls’ rights and highlight the challenges they face worldwide.
IRIAD said protecting girls’ education, rights and choices remained essential to building an inclusive Nigeria where every girl could learn, lead and shape the country’s future.
