…as NIGAWD organizes Regional Summit to Eradicate Teenage Pregnancy, Child Marriage
Some Stakeholders in Southwest States of Nigeria have called for proactive measures to check and stop the menace of teenage pregnancy and child marriage in South West Nigeria.
The stakeholders made the call in Ibadan during a Regional Summit on eradicating teenage pregnancy and child marriage in South West States organised by the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative, NIGAWD.
Declaring the Regional Summit opened, Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Toyin Balogun said the state had criminalised child marriage with a heavy sanction for violators, saying the state is working seriously to address the high rate of out-of-school children.
Delivering her speech, wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji said that issue of child education is on the top agenda of the State Government, saying different programmes were put in place in Ekiti State such as Adire Ekiti, re-enrolment out of School Child in order to engage girl-child and rehabilitate them to realize their dreams.
Dr Oyebanji, represented by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Peju Babafemi commended NIGAWD for championing the course of girl-child in southwest states, urging the executive of the NGO to keep the good work going.
Speaking at the programme, Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, represented by Social Director of AGILE, Mrs Yewande Adesua, who said the State had highest number of teenage pregnancy, reafirmed that the present administration is working hard to change the narrative.
In her welcome address, Executive Director of NIGAWD, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako lamented the rate of child marriage and teenage pregnancy, saying the summit was organised to build the future of young girl in the society, especially in western part of the Country.
She explained that child marriage and teenage pregnancy have denied most young girls to achieve their dreams and advocated for strategies and measures to check the ugly trend in the part of the country.
Mrs Aladejare-Salako noted that there should be constant advocacy and community engagement to enlighten young girls on the danger of early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
On his own, the keynote speaker, Emeritus Professor of Gynecology, Oladosu Ojengbede lamented that over twenty two million young women were married before the age of eighteen years while most of them stopped going to school.
The Don, who listed some of the factors responsible for teenage pregnancy and child marriage to include; poverty, peer group, lack of sexual education, among others, saying pregnancy should not erase potentials of young girls.
Professor Ojengbede therefore suggested empowering communities, improved budget for girl-child programmes, educate girls and boys on sexual related matters and enforcement of law protecting the rights of girl-child would further address the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy and child marriage.
