Ezekwesili Advocates for 18-Year Marriage Age in Nigeria

Obiageli Ezekwesili, the former Minister of Education, has called on the federal and state governments of Nigeria to enforce an 18-year minimum legal age for marriage. This appeal coincided with the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child and aims to combat child marriage, which she states deprives girls of educational opportunities and undermines the country’s human capital development.

Ezekwesili reported that Nigeria has 23.6 million women and girls married before 18, the highest in West and Central Africa. She pointed out alarming statistics from Jigawa State, where 78 percent of women aged 20 to 49 were first married before 18, and 63 percent left school to marry.

She emphasized the need for collaboration with traditional and religious leaders to uphold this minimum age and called for the removal of financial barriers preventing girls from accessing secondary education. Ezekwesili also highlighted the economic impact of early marriage, estimating potential global losses of up to $175 billion annually.