Nasarawa Declares War On Early Marriage, Empowers 62,000 Girls With Cash Incentives

The Nasarawa State Government has declared a total war on early marriage, vowing that no girl will be forced out of school as it intensifies massive investments in girls’ education across the state.

The declaration was made at the commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child held in Lafia, with the theme: “Ending Girls’ Early Marriage” and “End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls’ Rights.”

Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, the Director of Schools in the Ministry, Mr Christopher Ogiri, said the theme speaks directly to a challenge that continues to rob girls of their fundamental right to learn.

“Every girl deserves the opportunity to acquire quality education and fulfil her potential without being forced into early marriage. Learning is ordained by God, because God has directed us to seek knowledge,” he said.

Ogiri disclosed that under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule, the state government, through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE Project, has delivered transformative interventions in public schools across the state.

According to him, the interventions include the provision of 390 solar-powered boreholes to address water scarcity, 2,309 gender-sensitive toilets to improve dignity and retention, the renovation of 549 classrooms and the construction of 148 new ones, with 30 brand-new schools already underway.

He said the human impact is already visible, with more than 52,000 girls currently receiving financial incentives to enrol and remain in school, over 10,000 others receiving life-skills training for self-reliance, and an Alternative Education component giving vulnerable out-of-school girls a second chance to learn.

The Commissioner, however, charged school administrators and School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) members with taking ownership of the facilities, stressing that they are public assets intended to improve learning and must be protected from vandalism and misuse. He warned that school authorities would be held responsible for any damage.

He noted that government alone cannot win the fight against early marriage, calling on parents, caregivers, traditional and religious leaders, teachers and development partners to work in synergy to discourage the practice and promote a safe learning environment.

“Take your education very seriously, believe in yourself and remain focused on your aspirations. Your future matters and you deserve every opportunity to succeed,” he told the girls.

Earlier, the State AGILE Project Coordinator, Hajiya Aisha Isoga, said the initiative would be translated into concrete results through aggressive implementation of classroom renovation, provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH, infrastructure, and other learning facilities to enrol, support and retain the girl-child in school.

“Government alone cannot do everything in the education sector. We need collaboration of other agencies, particularly parents who must motivate, protect and encourage their children to remain in school,” Isoga said.

She called on religious and traditional rulers, non-governmental organisations, and civil society organisations to step up advocacy efforts to ensure every girl has access to safe, quality education, noting that Governor Sule has demonstrated a commitment to gender inclusion and sustainable development.

In his goodwill message, the representative of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, Malam Aliyu Suleiman, an Islamic scholar, declared that there is no backing for child marriage in the Quran, the Sunnah, or Islamic jurisprudence.

Suleiman said Islam makes seeking knowledge compulsory for both male and female children, quoting the Hadith that “seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman.” He cited the example of Aisha, wife of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who was one of the most renowned scholars of her time, as proof that Islam encourages female scholarship.

“If you educate a man, you educate a single person, but if you educate a girl, you educate a nation,” he said, linking girls’ education to the five objectives of Sharia. “There is no reason Islamically for any father to marry off his daughter while she is in a position of seeking knowledge.”

Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN/DPG, Pastor Austin Peter Humbugs, who spoke on “Education or Early Marriage: A Re-prioritisation Paradigm for the Girl-Child,” said the biblical foundation for marriage supports adult marriage, not child marriage.

Pastor Humbugs warned that early marriage, driven by poverty, gender inequality, lack of schooling, harmful traditions and weak law enforcement, leads to school dropout, maternal mortality, domestic violence and lifelong poverty.

He urged parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and the government to enforce 18 as the minimum marriage age, keep girls in school, and empower families economically, stressing that the new paradigm must be “Education First, Marriage Later.”

The well-attended event brought together the Special Adviser to the Governor, women groups, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, teachers, parents and students, who renewed their commitment to protect girls, keep them in school and empower them to realise their full potential.