Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Minister of Education, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, has called on the Federal Government and state governments to enforce 18 years as the minimum age of marriage across Nigeria, warning that child marriage continues to undermine girls’ education and the country’s human-capital development.
Ezekwesili made the call in a statement on Sunday, October 11, 2026, to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, urging African governments to strengthen legal protections for girls, improve access to education and prevent early marriage.
The former minister, who is the founder of Human Capital Africa, said Nigeria has an estimated 23.6 million women and girls who were married before turning 18, describing the scale of the problem as a major concern for the country.
She cited Jigawa State as an example of the challenge, stating that 78 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 in the state were first married before the age of 18, while 63 per cent reportedly left school to marry.
Ezekwesili urged governments to work with traditional and religious leaders to ensure that the minimum marriage age is enforced not only in law but also in practice across communities.
She also called for the removal of financial barriers that prevent girls, particularly those in rural areas, from continuing their education. These include school fees, uniform costs and transportation expenses.
According to her, improving access to education must go hand in hand with ensuring that children acquire foundational literacy skills early enough to progress through school.
She cited estimates indicating that 89 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa experience learning poverty, meaning they cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of 10.
Ezekwesili argued that girls who struggle to acquire basic literacy skills are more likely to fall behind academically and leave school, increasing their vulnerability to early marriage.
She therefore called on governments to make foundational learning a child-protection priority and ensure that every girl can read with comprehension by age 10 through effective teaching methods.
The former minister also urged African governments to increase domestic funding for girls’ education as international aid declines. She called for governments to track and publish data on girls’ learning outcomes, transition to secondary school and child-marriage rates.
On the economic consequences, Ezekwesili cited estimates suggesting that child marriage could cost the global economy as much as $175 billion annually and nearly $2.5 trillion by 2040 through lost productivity and increased health risks.
She noted, however, that progress was possible, pointing to estimates that 68 million child marriages had been averted over the past 25 years. She also cited research indicating that each additional year of secondary education reduces a girl’s likelihood of marrying before 18 by five percentage points or more.
Her intervention comes amid continuing concerns about the uneven implementation of child-protection laws in Nigeria. Although the Child Rights Act provides a framework for protecting children, implementation and enforcement have remained inconsistent across the country.
Ezekwesili called on African governments to place girls’ education and retention at the centre of the African Union’s Decade of Accelerated Action for the Transformation of Education and Skills Development.
She maintained that protecting girls from early marriage requires stronger enforcement of laws, sustained investment in education and accountability from governments at every level.
“Any girl-child should be a student, not a bride. She should learn, then lead,” she said.
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