David Akachukwu
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Stakeholders have urged the implementation of proactive strategies to tackle and eliminate the growing concerns of teenage pregnancy and early marriage across South-Western Nigeria.
This appeal was made in Ibadan during a regional summit focused on ending teenage pregnancy and child marriage within the South-West, organized by the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD).
While inaugurating the summit, the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Toyin Balogun, revealed that child marriage has been criminalized in the state, with stringent penalties for offenders. She also noted that the state government is taking deliberate steps to reduce the large number of children not enrolled in school.
During her address, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, emphasized that prioritizing the education of children remains a key goal of the state government. She pointed to several initiatives such as the Adire Ekiti programme and efforts to re-integrate out-of-school girls, aimed at equipping them to pursue their aspirations.
Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, Oyebanji applauded NIGAWD for its consistent advocacy for the girl-child in the region and encouraged the organization to maintain its momentum.
Also speaking at the event, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Education represented by Mrs. Yewande Adesua, Social Director of AGILE disclosed that the state has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies. She affirmed that the current administration is committed to reversing this trend.
In her introductory remarks, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, Executive Director of NIGAWD, decried the alarming levels of early marriage and teenage pregnancies. She emphasized that the summit was designed to secure a better future for girls, particularly in the South-West.
She highlighted how early pregnancy and marriage strip many girls of their right to dream and fulfill their potential, stressing the need for targeted solutions and policy action to combat the problem.
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Aladejare-Salako further emphasized the importance of ongoing awareness campaigns and community involvement to educate young girls on the dangers associated with early marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
Delivering the keynote speech, Emeritus Professor of Gynecology, Oladosu Ojengbede, expressed concern over the statistic that more than twenty-two million young women were married before turning 18, leading many to drop out of school.
Ojengbede identified key contributors to this issue, such as poverty, peer influence, and inadequate sex education. He stressed that pregnancy should not hinder young girls from reaching their full potential.
He proposed that empowering local communities, increasing funding for girl-child-focused initiatives, educating both boys and girls on reproductive health, and strictly enforcing existing child protection laws could help reduce the prevalence of early pregnancy and marriage.
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Jonathan Nwokpor
