Northern Pulse

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

A Kaduna-based NGO, the BEACON of Transformative and Inclusive Development Center has called for increased investment in girls’ education, protection and rights to address child marriage, sexual violence and educational exclusion in Nigeria.

The organisation made the call in a public advocacy statement to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, themed “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”.

The statement, signed by the Executive Director, Mrs Abigail Olatunde, stressed the need for sustained investment, institutional accountability and measurable improvements in girls’ lives.

Olatunde said many girls in Nigeria continued to face challenges associated with poverty, educational exclusion, child marriage, sexual violence, insecurity and limited access to essential services.

She said girls with disabilities, those in underserved rural communities and those affected by displacement and humanitarian emergencies faced additional barriers.

According to her, the Kaduna State 2025/2026 Out-of-School Children Mapping Report identified 187,719 children aged six to 17 outside the education system, including 81,366 girls.

Olatunde said the findings raised concerns about the reach of educational interventions, household economic support, school accessibility and retention programmes.

She also cited UNICEF estimates indicating that 50.4 per cent of young women aged 20 to 24 in Kaduna State were married before their 18th birthday in 2024.

The executive director said the figures underscored the need for coordinated interventions addressing the underlying factors exposing girls to child marriage and other forms of abuse.

She said educational exclusion could increase girls’ vulnerability to exploitation and early marriage, while poverty, discrimination and violence could disrupt their education and future opportunities.

Olatunde maintained that educating, protecting and empowering girls should be treated as a fundamental human rights obligation and an investment in sustainable development.

She called for measures to improve school enrolment, regular attendance, effective learning, safe transitions between educational levels and successful completion.

The organisation also urged authorities to address the social, economic and institutional conditions that exposed girls to child marriage and sexual violence.

Olatunde said disability inclusion should be integrated into programme design, public budgeting, infrastructure development, educational planning and child protection systems.

She noted that girls with disabilities often encountered inaccessible school facilities, inadequate learning resources, insufficiently trained personnel and limited assistive technologies.

The executive director called on the Kaduna State Government and education authorities to prioritise adequately funded interventions for out-of-school girls, particularly those affected by poverty, rural isolation and insecurity.

She urged education authorities to strengthen school retention, provide safe learning environments, improve inclusive infrastructure and monitor educational outcomes.

Olatunde also called on child protection, justice and health institutions to strengthen prevention and response systems for rape, sexual abuse, exploitation, child marriage and other forms of gender-based violence.

She stressed the importance of confidential and accessible reporting channels, timely referrals, psychosocial support, medical care and access to justice for survivors.

The organisation urged disability institutions and educational stakeholders to remove physical, communication, attitudinal and institutional barriers affecting girls with disabilities.

Olatunde said the measures should include reasonable accommodation, accessible information, assistive support and disability-inclusive safeguarding mechanisms.

She called on families, traditional and religious leaders and communities to promote girls’ education, challenge harmful practices and strengthen collective responsibility for protecting children from violence and exploitation.

The executive director urged development partners and civil society organisations to support locally led initiatives addressing educational exclusion, household poverty, harmful social norms and disability inclusion.

She further called on public institutions responsible for planning, budgeting and accountability to improve data collection and publication, disaggregated by sex, age, disability, location and socioeconomic circumstances.

According to her, linking public expenditure to measurable improvements in girls’ education, protection and well-being would strengthen accountability and programme effectiveness.

Olatunde reaffirmed The BEACON’s commitment to promoting inclusive education, child protection, disability rights, gender equality, psychosocial well-being and accountable governance.

She said meaningful progress required collaboration among government institutions, communities, families, development partners, civil society organisations and girls themselves.

Olatunde urged stakeholders to translate annual commemorations into sustained action, stressing that progress should be measured by how effectively barriers preventing girls from learning, living safely and exercising their rights were removed.

She said every girl deserved protection, education, a voice and the opportunity to determine her future.