# Nigeria Calls for 18-Year Marriage Age Enforcement

> Nigeria's former education minister urges federal and state governments to enforce 18 as minimum marriage age to protect girls' education.
- Title: Nigeria Calls for 18-Year Marriage Age Enforcement · Allafrica
- Summary: Nigeria's former education minister urges federal and state governments to enforce 18 as minimum marriage age to protect girls' education. Nigeria's former…
- Keywords: nigeria, obigaeli ezekwesili, federal government, child marriage, education, marriage age, west africa, news, world, politics, Calls, 18-Year
- Source: Allafrica — https://allafrica.com/stories/202610120519.html
- Published: 2026-10-12T15:02:12+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nigeria, obigaeli ezekwesili, federal government, child marriage, education, marriage age, west africa, news, world, politics
## Ezekwesili urges 18-year marriage age
Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, calls for 18 as minimum marriage age across Nigeria.
## 23.6 million girls married before 18
Nigeria has 23.6 million women and girls married before 18, the highest in West and Central Africa.
## Northern Nigeria crisis
In Jigawa State, 78 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 married before 18, and 63 per cent left school to marry.
## Education barriers
School fees, uniforms, and transport prevent girls from progressing to secondary school, especially in rural areas.
## Child marriage costs economy
Child marriage could cost the global economy up to $175bn annually and nearly $2.5tn by 2040.
## 68 million child marriages averted
68 million child marriages have been averted through girls' education and legal reforms over 25 years.
## Education reduces marriage risk
Each additional year of secondary education reduces a girl's likelihood of marrying before 18 by five percentage points.
## Key takeaway

Nigeria's former education minister calls for 18-year minimum marriage age to prevent child marriage and boost girls' education.