A 16-year-old junior secondary school dropout has revealed she chose marriage over staying at home due to her family’s economic struggles. The teenager, who dropped out in JSS 3, said her parents’ hardship after a government demolition forced her into marriage.
“I wasn’t forced; I was given two options – stay home or get married. I chose marriage,” she said. She hopes to become a doctor and return to school, but lacks means.
The PAGED Initiative’s Umi Bukar says such stories are common in Northern Nigeria, advocating stronger laws to compel child completion of secondary school. “Parents cite school fees, but marrying a girl off costs more,” she said.
Bukar calls for laws protecting girls’ education and government-built schools in rural areas to boost attendance. Would you like to know more about initiatives tackling child marriage or education in Nigeria?
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