The United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) has disclosed that 39 per cent of girls in Kano State are married before the age of 18, above the national average of 33.4 per cent.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Mr Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, disclosed this at an event to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl-Child and the launch of the National Strategy and Costed Action Plan for Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria (2025–2030), organised by the Federal and state ministry of women Affairs in collaboration with UNICEF held at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.
Ur-Rehman who was represented by Mona Aika, said child marriage remained a grave threat to children’s rights, depriving girls of education, exposing them to protection risks and limiting their future opportunities.
He cited the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that approximately one in three young women nationwide and nearly one in two in the North-West and North-East were married before their 18th birthday.
According to him, Bauchi State recorded a prevalence of 74 per cent, Jigawa 72 per cent and Katsina 69 per cent, while Kano’s figure stood at 39 per cent.
He said, “Behind every number is a girl with a voice, potential and dreams.”
According to him, ending child marriage required addressing poverty, gender inequality, harmful social norms and inadequate services, while ensuring that girls remained in school and families had access to healthcare, social protection and child protection services.
He commended the federal government for launching the national strategy but stressed that its success would depend on adequate funding and implementation.
“A costed plan must become a financed and implemented plan, reflected in state priorities, budgets, strong services and measurable results,” he said.
Ur-Rehman urged the states represented at the event to demonstrate political commitment, provide domestic funding and strengthen education, healthcare and protection systems to safeguard girls.
While reaffirming UNICEF’s readiness to work with governments and other partners to end child marriage and protect girls’ rights, he also called for increased school completion rates and greater participation of girls in decisions affecting their lives.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry Aishatu Abdulkadir, said ending child marriage and violence against children required collective action.
She said the state government had prioritised education through initiatives, including free and compulsory education, to ensure that children had access to learning opportunities.
Abdulkadir also urged stakeholders to draw on religious and moral principles that emphasise the protection of children’s dignity, health and future.
She said protecting children from violence and keeping girls in school were essential to the development of Kano State and the North-West region.
