Nigeria World’s number 2 in child marriage – UNICEF – TheNigerialawyer

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria has the
second largest number of child brides in the world, with 23 million
girls and women married out as children in the country, thereby
ending their educational strive.

Mr Bhanu Pathak, Chief of Field Office (CFO) UNICEF Nigeria,
Bauchi Field Office, stated this in Bauchi on Saturday at a Youth
Talk ceremony organised in commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of
the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

“Too many Nigerian children and young people are being left
behind, especially when it comes to education.

“Nigeria has the world’s highest number of out-of-school
children; more than 10.5 million Nigerian children are not in
school.

“Nigeria also has the second largest number of child brides in
the world with 23 million girls and women married as children, and
as such, ending their education,” said Pathak.

He reiterated UNICEF’s resolve to foster a stronger partnership
with the Nigerian government at the federal and state levels for
the realisation of children’s rights.

In his remarks, Mr Sagir Musa, the President, Youth Advocates
For Education, Bauchi, said, the challenges of young people
included high rate of unemployment, lack of basic life skills, drug
abuse, political thuggery and illiteracy among others.

He commended the state government for collaborating with UNICEF,
Bauchi Field Office, to organise such forum which gave young people
the opportunity to have their voices heard and take decisions on
matters that affected their lives.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the ceremony was
organized by UNICEF and Bauchi State Universal Basic Education
Board (SUBEB).

The Youth Talk, which is tagged ‘The Nigeria We Want: Voices
from Bauchi’, was sponsored by United Kingdom Department For
International Development (DFID), with participants from six states
of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Plateau and Taraba States.