Nigeria Child Marriage Crisis: Former Minister Demands 18 as Minimum Age as Education Suffers

Nigeria Child Marriage Crisis: Former Minister Demands 18 as Minimum Age as Education Suffers

Obiageli Ezekwesili calls for enforcement of 18 as the legal marriage age nationwide, warning that child marriage is destroying girls' education and Nigeria's future workforce.

· 1 min read ·
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A former Nigerian Minister of Education is demanding that federal and state governments enforce 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage across the entire country, warning that child marriage continues to devastate girls' education and hold back the nation's development.

Obiageli Ezekwesili, who previously led Nigeria's education ministry, says governments must act to make the 18-year minimum marriage age a reality in all states. She warns that child marriage damages girls' education and undermines Nigeria's human capital development — the economic value of the country's people, their skills and their potential [260566].

The call comes as Nigeria faces what experts describe as a deepening education crisis linked to the practice of marrying off young girls. Ezekwesili's appeal targets both federal and state authorities, urging them to close gaps in enforcement that allow underage marriages to continue [260566].

She says governments must act to make the 18-year minimum marriage age a reality across all states [260566].

The push for enforcement reflects growing concern that without concrete action, millions of Nigerian girls will continue to be denied education and the opportunities that come with it. Ezekwesili frames the issue not only as a rights concern but as an economic one, arguing that child marriage holds back the country's human capital development [260566].

Sources

Nigeria urged to ban child marriage as education crisis deepens #260566

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