By Abubakar Baba Ahmad
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment AGILE in Bauchi, development partners, Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders have called for an end to Early Marriage to guarantee a brighter future for the girl child.
According to them, Early Marriage leads to psychological trauma, illiteracy, domestic violence, divorce and critical health risks such as Vesico-Vaginal Fistula VVF
The call was made at an event to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) with the Global theme “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls Rights”, and a sub-theme; Empowering Adolescent Girls through Education, Life skills and Safe Spaces.
Speaking at the event, the State Project Coordinator AGILE Hajiya Ladi Hamma said even with the challenges of Sexual, Domestic and Gender-based violence, early marriage, insecurity among other factors, women and girls are active contributors to family and societal development.
She called for collaborative support to protect girls and guarantee their rights through improved access to educational opportunities, life skills and safe spaces for them to exhibit their potentials and contribute to societal development.
The State Commissioner of Education Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim who acknowledged the challenges of poverty, insecurity, early marriage, SGBV and access to inclusive education, promised to ensure equitable and inclusive access, safe support for the girl child and dropouts.
In a presentation, the Director General State Office of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, Madam Lydia Shehu said 1 in 3 girls are married before 18 years with 23 million child brides across the country, where 60 percent of Out 9f School Children in northern part of the country are girls.
Lydia Shehu who argued that early marriage is a barrier to the development of the girl child, advised the girls to be decent in dressing, avoid unnecessary make ups and keep away from negative peer influence to secure a brighter future.
The State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Child Development, Mrs Lydia Tsammani represented by the Director Child Development Ahmed Mohammed called for renewed commitment to ending early and forced marriage, violence against girls and ensure every girl attends and stays in school.
The Wife of the State Governor Hajiya A’isha Bala Mohammed and the first Female Education Secretary in Bauchi State Hajiya Asabe Hamma who served as Role Models at the event, shared their life experiences.
Part of activities marking the day are goodwill messages from partners to include Young Leaders Network, SISWACHI, Ikra Foundation, Wunti Al Khair Foundation, Eagles Impact, and WCY, cultural dances, spoken words among others.
About Seventeen Public and Private Schools participated in the annual event held at Government Girls’ College Bauchi.