Over 10 million children are out of school in Nigeria and the global pandemic has only made it harder for young people to stay in school. There have been dire consequences for girls, who are at risk of being married off. In a recent report, the World Bank found that Covid-19 lockdowns have increased the probability that children won’t return to school. That is particularly the case in northwestern Nigeria, which has a high rate of gender inequality in education, and the highest rates of child marriage in the country. Kidnapping of school children is a major ongoing crisis in the region. State governments need to strengthen laws on child marriage and establish strong processes to keep children in school, to prevent an increased risk of girls being married off in the coming years. There is a strong link between girls’ staying in school, educational outcomes, and eradicating child marriage. When girls are supported to stay in school, and complete secondary school, they are less likely to be forced into early marriages, are empowered to shape their life choices, and are more likely to access employment options that enable them to secure their financial futures. Child marriage is a major impact of weak efforts to keep students in school. More than 50 percent of children who are out of school in Nigeria are girls, who are often burdened with household responsibilities, care work and informal sector labour to support family members. Nigeria has free and compulsory schooling from age 6 to 15. Many girls from limited income households between ages 16 and 18 drop out because they can’t pay the school fees. But many girls still within the free compulsory education bracket are pulled out of school to work or are forced into marriage. Kidnapping of students is the biggest ongoing crisis in Nigeria’s northwest and deterrent to school attendance. In 2018, UNICEF estimated that 22 million girls and women in Nigeria were married in childhood, about 40 percent of all child brides in the West and Central Africa region. Nigeria’s federal government has enacted various laws to ensure children’s rights and protect their wellbeing and access to education. The 1994 Universal Basic Education programme sets the requirement for compulsory education up to age 15. There is also the 2003 Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, which criminalizes harmful traditional practices, including forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Over 10 million children are out of school in Nigeria and the global pandemic has only made it harder for young people to stay in school. There have been dire consequences for girls, who are at risk of being married off. In a recent report, the World Bank found that Covid-19 lockdowns have increased the probability that children won’t return to school. That is particularly the case in northwestern Nigeria, which has a high rate of gender inequality in education, and the highest rates of child marriage in the country. Kidnapping of school children is a major ongoing crisis in the region. State governments need to strengthen laws on child marriage and establish strong processes to keep children in school, to prevent an increased risk of girls being married off in the coming years. There is a strong link between girls’ staying in school, educational outcomes, and eradicating child marriage. When girls are supported to stay in school, and complete secondary school, they are less likely to be forced into early marriages, are empowered to shape their life choices, and are more likely to access employment options that enable them to secure their financial futures. Child marriage is a major impact of weak efforts to keep students in school. More than 50 percent of children who are out of school in Nigeria are girls, who are often burdened with household responsibilities, care work and informal sector labour to support family members. Nigeria has free and compulsory schooling from age 6 to 15. Many girls from limited income households between ages 16 and 18 drop out because they can’t pay the school fees. But many girls still within the free compulsory education bracket are pulled out of school to work or are forced into marriage. Kidnapping of students is the biggest ongoing crisis in Nigeria’s northwest and deterrent to school attendance. In 2018, UNICEF estimated that 22 million girls and women in Nigeria were married in childhood, about 40 percent of all child brides in the West and Central Africa region. Nigeria’s federal government has enacted various laws to ensure children’s rights and protect their wellbeing and access to education. The 1994 Universal Basic Education programme sets the requirement for compulsory education up to age 15. There is also the 2003 Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, which criminalizes harmful traditional practices, including forced marriage and female genital mutilation.