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- Overview
To mark the International Day of the Girl Child 2026, CITAD, in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria and under the Girl-Led Research and Action (GLA) initiative, held advocacy and sensitisation programmes in two FCT communities: Kilankwa (Kwali Area Council) on 24 October 2026 and Kayache (Kuje Area Council) on 25 October 2026. Both events were held under the theme “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights” and aimed to raise awareness of girls’ rights, promote access to quality education, and advocate against child marriage and other harmful practices affecting girls. Participants included CITAD staff, parents, community members, community leaders and adolescent girls, together with partner organisations and government representatives at Kayache.
- Kilankwa Community, Kwali Area Council (24 October 2026)
Opening remarks and sensitisation. The programme opened with an introductory session by Yesmin Salako (CITAD), who explained that the International Day of the Girl Child is a global occasion for celebrating girls and promoting their rights, opportunities and well-being. She stressed that every girl has the right to education and should not be restricted by stereotypes or tradition, and that no profession is exclusively for boys or men. She introduced the GLA initiative as a platform that builds girls’ confidence and leadership skills, helps them identify the challenges affecting them, and shows them where to channel their advocacy. She urged parents and the community to discourage early and child marriage and to invest in girls’ education.
Remarks by Martha Yusuf. Martha Yusuf reiterated that girls are the future of the community and that nothing should prevent them from accessing quality education. She acknowledged the financial pressures some families face but stated that child marriage must never be seen as a solution to poverty. She called for an end to practices that confine girls to domestic duties and encouraged mothers and female caregivers to support their daughters’ education and aspirations.
Advocacy on education, health and personal development. Yesmin Salako encouraged parents, particularly mothers, to guide girls on personal hygiene, menstrual health and management, and life skills. She noted that domestic skills are valuable but must not interfere with schooling, and urged parents to ensure regular school attendance.
Presentations by the girls. Adolescent girls made presentations on issues affecting them: school dropout; rape and sexual violence; early and child marriage; and unwanted pregnancy. The presentations allowed the girls to voice their concerns and engage the community in discussing solutions.
Issues identified on early marriage. The girls and participants identified: (i) financial constraints that influence parents’ decisions on daughters’ education and marriage; (ii) peer influence on decisions that affect girls’ education and future; (iii) disregard of parental guidance by some girls; and (iv) irregular school attendance and conduct, including students seen moving about in uniform before official closing time, which raised concerns about supervision and discipline.
Remarks by Mrs. Franca. Mrs. Franca urged parents to prioritise girls’ education, stating that educating a girl child is educating a nation, and encouraged the girls to remain committed to their studies.
Remarks by the community leader. The community leader thanked CITAD and ActionAid Nigeria for their continued support, encouraged girls to be obedient, responsible and committed to their education, and urged parents to take the education of their children, especially girls, seriously, noting that this promotes community development and helps prevent practices that undermine girls’ rights.
Conclusion. Parents were encouraged to enrol and retain their daughters in school and to ensure that financial challenges do not deprive them of opportunities. The event reaffirmed CITAD and ActionAid Nigeria’s commitment to empowering adolescent girls and promoting gender equality.
- Kayache Community, Kuje Area Council (25 October 2026)
Attendance. The programme was attended by CITAD representatives (Yesmin Salako, Programme Officer, and Martha Yusuf, Assistant Researcher), representatives of the Kuje Area Council Chairman’s Office, community members, and representatives of Empower Her Initiative.
Opening remarks. Yesmin Salako introduced the purpose of the visit and the significance of the day, and gave an overview of the GLA initiative, which builds girls’ confidence and leadership skills and equips them with knowledge of their rights and the proper channels for demanding them. She emphasised that every girl deserves respect, protection and quality education, urged parents to discourage child marriage, and stressed that financial challenges must not be used to justify denying girls an education.
Presentation by the representative of the Kuje Area Council Chairman’s Office. He defined child marriage as any formal or informal marriage or union involving a person below 18 years, as provided under child protection legislation in Nigeria, and stated that it violates children’s rights and is prohibited by law. He referred to the Child Rights Act and Section 29 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Causes of child marriage: poverty (marrying girls off to reduce household costs); low educational attainment (out-of-school girls are more vulnerable); cultural and traditional practices that normalise early marriage; and lack of awareness of the legal provisions prohibiting it.
Effects of child marriage: loss of educational opportunities; economic dependence on husbands; negative community development outcomes through low literacy and limited human capital; and restricted personal development and decision-making.
Health consequences: increased vulnerability to reproductive health complications, including obstetric fistula and sexually transmitted infections; high maternal mortality risk for girls who are not physically mature for pregnancy and childbirth; and psychological and emotional distress.
Strategies for prevention: (i) strengthening the involvement of community and religious leaders in advocacy; (ii) promoting mother-to-mother group discussions and positive parenting; (iii) sensitising parents and community members on the importance of girls’ education and protection; and (iv) strengthening awareness of child protection laws and policies. He confirmed that community leaders in Kuje Area Council remain committed to addressing the practice, urged parents to enrol and retain all children in school irrespective of gender, and encouraged girls to acquire vocational skills alongside formal education. He concluded that early marriage does not protect girls but destroys their health, education and future, and that educating a girl child protects the entire community.
Remarks by the community leadership representative. He thanked CITAD and ActionAid Nigeria, observed that some young girls show disrespect to their parents, encouraged mothers to monitor and guide their children, and called for cooperation between fathers and mothers in raising and educating children, particularly girls.
Presentation by Empower Her Initiative. Mrs. Charlin, Executive Director, described the organisation’s support for individuals and families facing financial difficulty, particularly those unable to enrol or retain their children in school. She urged parents to prioritise education for every child regardless of gender or economic background, reinforcing the need for community-based support systems to address financial barriers and prevent child marriage.
Community engagement and responses. Participants reflected on the challenges facing girls, appreciated the awareness created, and acknowledged the importance of educating girls, discouraging child marriage and promoting positive parenting. They expressed willingness to support efforts to keep girls in school and requested similar advocacy and sensitisation programmes in future. The programme closed with renewed commitments to support girls’ education and discourage child marriage.
- Common Themes Across Both Communities
Both communities identified poverty and financial constraints as the key driver of child marriage and school dropout; both leadership groups appreciated CITAD and ActionAid Nigeria; and both stressed the role of parents, especially mothers, in guiding and supporting girls. Girls’ concerns raised at Kilankwa (dropout, sexual violence, early marriage, unwanted pregnancy) were reinforced by the legal and health perspectives presented at Kayache.
