According to a report by PUNCH on Sunday, May 17, 2026, a 16-year-old girl from Borno State, whose identity has been withheld, has explained that she opted for marriage after dropping out of school, saying the decision came after she was presented with limited options by her parents following a series of economic challenges affecting her family.
The teenager disclosed this during an exclusive interview with PUNCH Online on Saturday at a media dialogue organised by the PAGED Initiative in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to her, she was not forced into marriage, but felt that continuing to stay at home without access to education or meaningful engagement would not improve her future prospects.
She explained that she was in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS 3) before her education was disrupted due to a demolition exercise carried out by the Borno State Government, which affected her family’s livelihood.
“I went to school until JSS 3. I had to drop out after my Junior WAEC because a demolition by the state government caused my family to relocate to Mule in Maiduguri,” she said. “My father is a mechanic. His shop in the Borno Expressway area was demolished when the state government decided to build a flyover.”
She further stated that the loss of her father’s workshop led to a sharp decline in the family’s income, making it difficult for her to continue her education.
“That demolition really affected our living conditions because work was not forthcoming for him. I could not continue my education as well,” she said. “Three months after the incident, he got me married when I was 16 years old.”
The teenager maintained that she was presented with two choices at the time—remain at home without continuing her education or get married—and she chose the latter.
“I was not forced to get married. I was only given two options, which were either to stay at home and not go to school or to get married. I chose marriage,” she explained.
She added that part of the arrangement surrounding the marriage was a promise that she would eventually return to school, a plan that has not yet materialised.
“The man actually promised to return me to school, but after the marriage, he has yet to have the means to return me to school. We have been married for six months now,” she said.
Despite her current situation, she expressed a strong desire to resume her education and pursue her ambition of becoming a medical doctor.
“I have been bothered and wished to return to school, but then, where are the means? My wish is to become a doctor,” she said. “However, I am very sure that if my husband had the means, he would take me to school because he values education.”
Meanwhile, the Programme Director of the PAGED Initiative, Umi Bukar, who spoke at the dialogue, said cases like that of the teenager are not uncommon in parts of Northern Nigeria, where girls are often withdrawn from school due to economic pressure or early marriage.
Bukar called for stronger legal and policy frameworks that would ensure girls complete at least secondary education, noting that many families prioritise immediate financial needs over long-term educational outcomes.
She argued that the cost of early marriage is often underestimated compared to the investment required to keep girls in school.
“When you look at it, the cost of marrying a girl off is high. The money to buy a bed alone for her can see her through secondary school,” she said.
She also urged government authorities to extend enforcement of compulsory education laws to cover senior secondary school, arguing that this would help reduce early school dropouts.
“As it stands right now, Universal Basic Education is compulsory for every child, but it is not enforced. If you extend it to cover up to SS 3, then it becomes illegal for parents to withdraw their children from school for marriage,” she noted.
Bukar further called for increased investment in rural education infrastructure, stressing that improved access to schools would help reduce dropout rates, particularly among girls in underserved communities…See More
