By Destiny Uko
Across Africa, child marriage remains a pressing concern. On estimate, 130 million girls and women are married before the age of 18. In west Africa, where the practice is even more alarming, 41% of school-age girls are wedded before adulthood. In what is notably the highest in the region, there are about 23.7 million child brides in Nigeria.
Nevertheless, a clutch of NGOs is working to stem the tide of this trend.
Integrated Women and youth Empowerment Centre (IWAYEC)
This is one of the trailblazing non-profits located in Maiduguri. Since 2003, IWAYEC has busied itself with empowering vulnerable girls, orphans, widows, and youth through vocational training and counselling. It also runs a programme called the Girls in STEM Mentoring Programme.
Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC)
In Lagos, it pursues gender justice and legal advocacy. Since 2000, they have led the way on child rights, providing legal services to victims of forced marriage and sexual violence and contributing to impactful legislative changes like the VAPP Act and Child Rights Act.
CENTRE FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH AND INFORMATION (CEWHIN)
It empowers adolescent girls by providing timely sexuality education and confidential helplines for offering assistance in extreme situations.
In Jigawa and Cross River States, the Centre for Women Studies and Intervention (CWSI) has driven programmes, supported by USAID, that raise awareness and bring about a change through partnering with human rights clubs, community sensitisation, and training of local leaders, who in turn enact local bylaws against child marriage as well as enforce it.
Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN)
Aside from direct empowerment, faith-based entities are throwing their resources into the war against child marriage. Creating a safe space for girls—through quality education, welfare packages and mentorship—constitutes a prominent role in FOMWAN’s mission across Nigeria’s 36 states.
Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI)
Among its slew of programmes is spearheading community dialogues in Imo State and collaborating with traditional leaders to stamp out harmful practices, including child marriage.
Also, founded by Elsie Ijorogu-Reed, Delta Women cater to teenage girls through mentorship, advocacy, and education, including campaigns against teenage pregnancy and harassment in schools.
Girls Not Brides Nigeria
An offshoot of the global Girls Not Brides, this movement operates across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, pressing for the protection of girls from early marriages. Along with organising mentorship programmes for girls, it engages stakeholders and lawmakers to ensure the full implementation of the Child Rights Act across all Nigerian states.
Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI)
With notable presence in Cross River and Edo States, GPI pushes for women’s rights by equipping girls with education on reproductive health and life-skills training for self-empowerment. Its alumni are also known to give back to their community by helping spread the word.
Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA)
Founded in March 1999 by Hon. Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, Nigeria’s former First Lady, WRAPA has intervened in matters involving injustice against women and girls in Nigeria. Through legal aid, it has rescued countless girls from forced marriages. They also partner with religious leaders to erase ill-formed sentiments concerning the practice.
Save the Children Nigeria
While not exclusively focused on women’s issues, this organisation collaborates with state governments to enforce child-protection laws. What’s more, it provides support for girl children returning to school and carries out community awareness campaigns to bring child marriage to a halt.
Arresting the trend
The first solution to this long-practiced culture is by realising that it is wrong. Girls below 18 should be students, not wives. Fortunately, awareness and help are beginning to erupt in this direction.
Each effort, each safe space created, and each community leader trained brings us one step closer to a Nigeria where child marriage is no longer a rite of passage but a thing of the past, long forgotten and condemned.
Child marriage remains a critical issue in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, where 23.7 million child brides exist. Several NGOs are actively working to combat this practice. The Integrated Women and Youth Empowerment Centre in Maiduguri focuses on empowering vulnerable girls through vocational training, while the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre in Lagos offers legal services and advocates for legislative changes against child marriage. The Centre for Women's Health and Information provides sexuality education, and in states like Jigawa and Cross River, awareness programs and local bylaws help address the issue.
Faith-based organizations like the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria and initiatives like the Centre for Family Health Initiative and Delta Women also contribute significantly by creating safe spaces, engaging in community dialogues, and spearheading campaigns against harmful practices. Other noteworthy efforts include Girls Not Brides Nigeria working across geopolitical zones, the Girls’ Power Initiative educating on reproductive health, and Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative providing legal aid to rescue girls from forced marriages.
Save the Children Nigeria collaborates with state governments to enforce child protection and supports girls returning to school. Combined efforts from these organizations aim to eradicate the deep-rooted culture of child marriage, shifting the focus towards education and empowering young girls, moving towards a future where child marriage is nonexistent.
