CSACEFA seeks end to child marriage, demands more investment in girls’ education

By Chioma Obinna

The Coalition of Civil Society Action for Education for All (CSACEFA), Lagos State Chapter, has called for increased investment in girls’ education, stronger child protection measures and coordinated efforts to end child marriage and ensure that girls have access to quality education.

The coalition made the call at its Lagos Education Summit and International Day of the Girl Child 2026, held at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Hall, Maryland, Lagos, with the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”

Speaking at the event, CSACEFA Lagos Coordinator, Stella Olubunmi Francis, said every child deserved access to quality education, irrespective of gender or personal circumstances.

Francis expressed concern over the stigma and discrimination faced by pregnant schoolgirls, urging stakeholders to create opportunities for them to continue their education.

“There is a lot of stigma and shame, but these children should not be denied education because of their pregnancies. We need to create more opportunities for them to continue their education,” she said.

Representing the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Akeem Babatunde Shittu, the Board Secretary, Lamidi Akeem, reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to children’s rights and basic education.

“The Lagos State Government has already domesticated the Child Rights Act. Every government agency saddled with responsibilities concerning children, particularly SUBEB, has a role to play,” Akeem said.

He acknowledged the contribution of civil society organisations and development partners to efforts aimed at bringing out-of-school children back into the education system.
In her keynote address, a lawyer and member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Mrs Olubola Afolabi, called for stronger child protection mechanisms, legal accountability and improved access to education to tackle child marriage.

“Why does child marriage happen? What happens to the girls? These are the questions I want us to ask ourselves,” Afolabi said, urging stakeholders to confront the factors responsible for the practice and its consequences for girls.

CSACEFA Lagos Provost and Founder of LEADIN AFRICA, Margaret ChiChi Nkire, said the summit was organised to strengthen gender-responsive education financing and inclusive budgeting in Lagos State and Nigeria.

During a panel session she moderated, participants called for rights-based education policies, the removal of hidden charges that undermine free education and improved support for pregnant, married and parenting girls to remain in school or return without discrimination.

“We hope that beyond this summit, we will have better coordination among stakeholders. We have Plan International, Save the Children, the British Council, SUBEB, the National Human Rights Commission and other stakeholders here today,” Nkire said.
Representing Plan International Nigeria, Aishatu Usman Bukar stressed the need for adequate and sustainable education funding, gender-responsive budgeting and measures to remove financial barriers facing girls and vulnerable households.

A student participant, Esther Matthew, said the summit had broadened her understanding of the opportunities available to girls beyond marriage.

“I have learnt that being a girl child is not only about marriage. A girl can stand on her own, become a business owner and achieve whatever she wants in the future,” Matthew said.

She also pledged to act on the message, “See Something, Say Something,” by intervening where possible when she encountered situations threatening children’s safety and reporting cases beyond her capacity to a teacher or another trusted adult.

The summit featured discussions on child marriage, inclusive education and sustainable financing, alongside cultural dance and spoken-word performances celebrating the girl child.

Other participants included representatives of Save the Children International Nigeria, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Child Protection Network Lagos, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, mothers’ associations and School-Based Management Committees.

The stakeholders called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, schools and communities to protect girls’ rights and ensure that poverty, pregnancy, early marriage and discrimination do not deprive them of education.

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