Eradication Foundation, WOTCLEF, Mrs. Titi Abubakar,
said on Monday in Abuja that the northern Nigeria had
the highest rate of early marriage in the country.
Abubakar, who was represented by Hajia Veronica
Umoru, a Director at WOTCLEF, made this known in a
policy dialogue on Early Marriage with the theme:
"Curbing Early Marriage an Protecting Children's
Right in Nigeria".
She said that early marriage had been widely spread
in the northern part of the country "because it is
believed that it could reduce promiscuity.''
She said that a report had indicated that nationwide,
20 per cent of girls were married at age 15 and 40
per cent married at age 18 to 22.
"In the Northwest region, 48 per cent of girls were
married at age 15, and 78 per cent married at age 18
to 23," she said.
Abubakar, who is the wife of the former vice
president, said that in Nigeria, advocates justified
early marriage as necessary for preserving girls'
virginity, adding that "early marriage exposes virgin
girls to grave health risk.''
"Married adolescents in the northern states of
Nigeria face greater reproductive health risks than
their unmarried counterpart due to low education,
low status, and large spousal gaps.
"They have little or no inter-spousal communication,
limited access to contraceptives and the risk of HIV
infections from other husbands who have multiple
sexual partners."
She said that girls were future wives and mothers
with indispensable roles to play in moulding and
shaping the future of the nation.
Abubakar said that it was not enough that a law had
been put in place to fight the practice, but the
enforcement of the law had to be taken seriously.
She said that the international community would not
achieve its commitment to reduce global poverty
unless it tackled child marriage.
In his speech, Mr Auwal Musa, the Executive
Secretary, Civil Society Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) said
that National and International communities have
increasingly recognised child marriage as a serious
problem and violation of girl's right.
Quoting a survey conducted by the Population
Council, an NGO on HIV and AIDS and early marriage
in Nigeria, he said that girls who married at 15 years
were more in the North than the South.
Musa said that the survey also showed that the North
West alone has 35.8 per cent, North East has 24.9 per
cent, North Central has 7.7 per cent.
While South West has 0.7 per cent and South-South
has 2.4 per cent and South-East has 0.4 per cent.
In a goodwill message, Mrs Esther Otukoya, the
Director, ECOWAS Division, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said that the theme was in consonance with
the Nigerian government's policy on protection of the
child right.
In a keynote address, Prof. Bem Angwe, the Executive
Secretary of Human Rights Commission said that
Nigeria domesticated the child rights act in 2003.
Angwe, who was represented by Mrs Aver Gavar, the
Deputy Director, Focal Areas Unit said that child
marriage was being perpetuated under a warped
consideration of economic benefit, religious and
cultural misapplication.
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