The Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, has urged schoolgirls to prioritise education and career development over early marriage, calling for stronger enforcement of child protection laws.
Meranda made the call at a workshop themed “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”, organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Basic and Senior Secondary Education to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
Speaking at the event, the lawmaker described child marriage as a human rights violation and a threat to national development, stressing that protecting girls requires effective legislation, adequate funding and collaboration among government institutions, families and communities.
Citing a December 2025 UNICEF report, Meranda said 33.4 per cent of Nigerian women aged 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18. She noted that the figure rises to nearly 50 per cent in the North-East and North-West regions.
She warned that laws protecting children would have limited impact without proper enforcement, adding that cultural considerations should not be used to justify violations of girls’ rights.
“Do not prepare a girl for marriage at the expense of preparing her for life,” she told parents and policymakers, urging them to prioritise education and opportunities for young girls.
Meranda also called on traditional rulers to challenge harmful cultural practices, schools to identify girls at risk of early marriage and private organisations to support secondary education and mentorship programmes.
Stakeholders call for investment in girls’ education
Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in Lagos State, also urged schoolgirls to focus on their education rather than early marriage.
She called for practical measures to protect girls, including scholarships, mentorship, digital skills training and stronger safeguards against gender-based violence.
“A girl-child deserves a book, not a wedding ring; a classroom, not a forced marriage; and the freedom to shape her own future,” Sonayon-James said.
She stressed the need to move beyond public awareness campaigns by implementing programmes that keep girls in school and empower families to reject child marriage.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, said investing in girls was essential for sustainable development.
He also challenged the perception that Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) fields were exclusively for boys, noting that girls should have equal opportunities to pursue careers in these areas.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, encouraged students to remain focused on their studies and pursue their ambitions.
“If anybody tells you that education is a scam, know that such a person is a scammer too,” Ogunlende told the students.
The workshop also featured discussions on child protection, personal boundaries and the prevention of domestic and sexual violence.
Titilayo Rhodes-Vivour, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, urged girls to protect their privacy, recognise inappropriate behaviour and report violations.
The stakeholders called on parents, educators, policymakers and community leaders to work together to ensure that girls can complete their education and pursue their ambitions without the threat of early or forced marriage.
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