A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Beyond Mentors Community Care Initiatives, has called for urgent policies to discourage early marriage for underage girls.
Mrs Khadijat-Abdullahi Iya, the Executive Director of the NGO, made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at a programme to celebrate the International day of the street children, as well as road walk to mark the day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that every year on April 12, International Day for Street Children provides a voice for children that live on the street so their rights cannot be ignored.
The programme was put together by the Young Ambassador Against Drug Abuse Initiative (YAADAI), an NGO and Street Children Parliament.
Iya said that there was need for government and stakeholders to push more to discourage early child marriage.
”Lack of political will and effective policies on the part of government and stakeholders to discourage early child marriage, is encouraging this act.
”Many girls are giving birth to children they cannot train and these children are the ones constituting nuisance in the society.
”Government and policymakers need to look at child marriages urgently and totally discourage it.
”We need all stakeholders to be present there to see how we can eradicate child marriage completely in Nigeria,” she stressed.
Iya also called on policymakers to look at the issue of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), saying that most of these atrocities happened on the street where children are left alone, making them vulnerable.
”The Child’s Right Act (2003) must be strengthened to protect these vulnerable girls,” she said.
Iya commended the organisers of the programme, along with stakeholders who are advocates of girl-child education.
Also speaking, Miss Joylife Alegbemi, a student pleaded with the government to strengthen policies that would get children off the streets.
Alegbemi, who is a Swedish Ambassador, said that it was disheartening to see girls on the streets.
“Currently I am working on a project called the Eye Subscribe Project. It is aimed at promoting the rights and value, education and wellbeing of the girl-child in the society.
“It is very disheartening to see girls on the street because they are susceptible to various dangers like rape and many others that affect the girls in the society.
Also contributing, Master Saifullahi Khalil, the Chief Executive Officer of YAADAI stated that the vision and mission of the NGO was to ensure that every child had the right to life, survival and development.
Khalil who is also the Speaker of Street Children Parliament, added that YAADAI was also out to ensure that street children are carried along in decision making processes.
He called on government to assist the street children by engaging them in skills acquisition prigramme or sporting activities.
Mrs Patience Ekeoba, National Programme Officer, United Nations Women stressed that street children were at risk of many dangers.
”The UNICEF says Nigeria has hundreds of these children on the street. This is a failure on the part of those who are saddled with the responsibility of taking care of them.
”We have the Child’s Rights Act which provide a robust frameworko onhow we should protect our children but unfortunately only 24 states that has passed the act.
