SCI launches Report on budgeting to end Early Child Marriage in Nigeria

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria, has launched a report on budgeting to end Early Child Marriage in Nigeria.
Launching the report on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Ohaneye, said there is need for collaborative efforts to address the challenges faced by the girl-child in the country.
She said there is need for young girls to learn skills so as not to depend on others.
“There is need for young girls to be empowered with various skills skills that could help them later in life.
“On our part, we will continue to support women and girls. We will champion various advocacies to put an end to these challenges.
We are working closely with other stakeholders to ensure success in that area.”
She said this is time for action and less talk. “I urge teachers to be close to their students so as to know their challenges.”
Also speaking, Interim Country Director, Save the Children International – Faton Krasniqi, who was represented by Director of Advocacy, Campaigns, Communication and Media, Amanuel Mamo, said budgeting on any child rights agenda is an important step towards delivering on what the government has pledged to do to protect, respect and fulfil child rights.
“Early, child and forced marriage robs the potential of a girl – the potential to be empowered, to have a say, to realize and release their full potentials and become somebody. Child marriage erodes and dries the future of the girls, their dreams and hope in life. One of the girls who unfortunately end up in early, child and forced marriage could possibly be someone who invents and have a solution for some of the major challenges that the world is facing today. So, the planet earth needs these girls in order to be a better place for everyone to live on.
“There are some bold measures that the Federal and State governments have taken to advance child rights in Nigeria. The National Strategy to End Child Marriage (2016-21) is among the major tools that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has been championing. The creation of National Technical Working Group on Ending Child Marriage also brought coalition of stakeholders from the government, CSOs and INGOs with an intention to drive the implementation the strategy. The existing laws, strategies and plans can only be fulfilled if it is budget for.
“Therefore, the finding of this research underscores the importance of allocating adequate financial resources to tackle the underlying causes of child marriage. The report provides a review and analysis of how the government has been budgeting towards the efforts of ending child marriage in Nigeria. The study identifies bottlenecks and provides recommendations on what should be addressed to accelerate the fight against early, child and forced marriage.”