The 16th Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, has attributed the persistence of child marriage in parts of Northern Nigeria to the failure of government to provide adequate educational opportunities for girls beyond primary school.
Sanusi made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he appeared alongside the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, and the Emir of Shonga, His Royal Highness Dr. Haliru Yahaya Ndanusa, to discuss culture, education and social reform.
The former Central Bank governor noted that while Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees every child the right to education, poor enforcement and the lack of basic educational infrastructure have rendered the provision ineffective, particularly in rural communities.
He said public conversations often focus on condemning child marriage without addressing the structural issues that push families into such decisions.
“We’re talking about child marriage, but you go to some parts of the North, there’s a primary school and that’s it,” Sanusi said.
According to him, many girls complete primary education at a very young age but are left without access to secondary schools, skills acquisition centres or structured pathways for personal development.
“There’s no secondary school, there’s no skill centre, there are no provisions for her life,” he added.
Sanusi explained that in such situations, poor families are often driven by fear rather than cultural preference when marrying off young girls.
“The poor man basically fears that she’s 12 or 13, and he’s afraid that she might get pregnant on the road,” he said, noting that this fear often leads parents to accept the first marriage proposal that comes their way.
He further pointed out that although the law criminalises withdrawing a child from school, enforcement remains virtually nonexistent.
“Our constitution says every child is entitled to education, so if you take a child out of school you’re supposed to commit an offence. But how many people have ever been arrested for taking a child out of school? None,” he said.
Sanusi argued that meaningful enforcement is impossible when the state itself has failed to provide sufficient schools, especially in underserved areas.
“You know why? Because the government has not provided the schools,” he stated.
He stressed that tackling child marriage requires more than moral arguments or cultural condemnation, urging government to invest heavily in education and social infrastructure to give young girls real and viable alternatives.
