El-Rufai condemns early marriage

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has frowned on the culture of early marriages among female population, saying that the government would promote policies discouraging such practices to secure the future of the girl-child in the state.

In a statement marking the 2016 World Population Day, which has its theme: “Investing in Teenage Girls”, the governor said that “teenagers are living the transition from childhood to early adulthood, and they require that increased investments be made in health and education for the benefit of the young.”

Lamenting the challenges facing teenage girls, El-Rufai said: “This is especially true of teenage girls who often face more challenges than their male counterparts. In many parts of Nigeria, particularly in the North, a girl, who reaches puberty, may be deemed fit by her family and community as ready for marriage, pregnancy and childbirth.

“She could be married off and forced to leave school. She may suffer a debilitating condition from delivering a child before her body is ready for it. She may confront human rights issues, and serious health concerns. Without education, in poor health, and with little or no control over her own body, her future can be derailed, and her potential may never be realised.

“The challenges and obstacles faced by a teenage girl tend to multiply if she is a member of an ethnic minority, lives in a village or is from a poor household. But when a teenage girl has the power, the means and the information to make her own decisions in life, she is more likely to realise her full potential and become a positive force for change in her home, community and the nation.”

El-Rufai said that the policies and investments in education and health that empower teenage girls and create economic conditions that lead to jobs are particularly important in countries such as Nigeria, and particularly Kaduna State.