50% of girls still marry before 18 in Kaduna – Report

A new baseline study has revealed that about 50 per cent of girls in Kaduna State are still married before the age of 18, despite growing awareness and interventions aimed at delaying child marriage. The findings were presented by Maryam Abubakar of the Centre for Girls Education during a stakeholder learning session on girls’ education […]

A new baseline study has revealed that about 50 per cent of girls in Kaduna State are still married before the age of 18, despite growing awareness and interventions aimed at delaying child marriage.

The findings were presented by Maryam Abubakar of the Centre for Girls Education during a stakeholder learning session on girls’ education and development.

The report, titled: “Investing in Girls’ Choices: Baseline Insights on Delaying Marriage and First Birth in Niger & Nigeria,” was presented at a webinar jointly hosted by CARE USA and the Centre for Girls Education (CGE).

Abubakar said the situation remains troubling, with over 20 per cent of girls marrying before age 15, while one in three gives birth before turning 18.

She explained that the challenges facing adolescent girls in northern Nigeria go beyond poverty, citing limited access to education, poor learning outcomes, harmful social norms, and lack of economic opportunities.

“These outcomes are not simply driven by poverty. They reflect systems that do not provide credible alternatives,” she said.

According to her, when education fails to translate into real opportunities, early marriage and motherhood often become the default option for many families.

To address this, she said the organisation has been implementing targeted interventions designed to expand choices for girls, particularly those out of school and most vulnerable to early marriage and pregnancy.

Abubakar highlighted the success of the “Pathways to Choice” programme implemented between 2018 and 2020, which combined academic support, life skills training, vocational opportunities, and community engagement.

She said an evaluation by the University of Washington showed that the programme reduced the likelihood of child marriage by 80 per cent within two years.

“At the end of the programme, 86 per cent of girls in the control group were married, compared to only 21 per cent of girls who participated,” she said.

She added that participants were also seven times more likely to be in school compared to their peers.

However, Abubakar noted that the programme’s high cost — nearly $1,000 per girl — posed challenges for scaling, prompting a new phase known as “Pathways to Scale.”

Under the new model, different intervention approaches are being tested across communities to determine the most cost-effective strategy for achieving impact.

These include a standard package combining education and vocational training, a streamlined education-focused model, and a community-led approach that relies on religious and traditional leaders to shift social norms.

She said a baseline survey of 3,000 out-of-school girls revealed that while many believe early marriage is common, their personal aspirations differ.

“On average, girls want to marry at about 18.7 years, even though 71 per cent believe most girls marry before 16,” she said.

The study also found that although three-quarters of the girls had attended school at some point, less than half could read or write, highlighting gaps in learning outcomes.

Despite this, Abubakar said educational aspirations remain high, with nine out of 10 girls expressing willingness to attend school if given the opportunity, and most aiming to complete secondary education.

She added that community leaders increasingly support girls’ education, with nearly all surveyed endorsing equal opportunities for boys and girls.

While acknowledging progress including a 20 per cent decline in child marriage rates since 2018, she stressed the need for sustained, evidence-based interventions.

Abubakar said the ongoing programme would run for two years, with further findings expected later this year and a comprehensive evaluation report due by 2027.

“If we get the combination right, we are not just delaying marriage, we are expanding the range of choices available to girls,” she said.

Speakers at the event said the findings provide fresh evidence on how targeted interventions can delay early marriage and childbirth while improving education and economic opportunities for girls.

Senior Director at CARE USA, Jane Iredale, said the initiative was designed to expand girls’ ability to make informed life choices.

She noted that adolescent girls often lack a voice in decisions around education, marriage and childbirth, stressing that empowering them to delay marriage until at least 18 years is critical to improving their future.