Ekiti AGILE, Partners Mobilise Stakeholders for Stronger Partnerships to End Girl-Child Marriage

.......Development partners, communities urged to invest in girls’ education, strengthen protection systems and expand safe spaces

The Ekiti State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), in collaboration with the Network for Improved School Development (NISD) and the Centre for Gender Space Initiative, has called for stronger partnerships among government institutions, development partners, schools, families and communities to end child marriage, protect girls’ rights and expand access to quality education for adolescent girls.

The call was made on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during the commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child at Ekiti State Government College, Oye-Ekiti. Held under the global theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” the event adopted the Ekiti AGILE theme, “Empowering Adolescent Girls through Education, Life Skills, and Safe Spaces to End Child Marriage in Nigeria.”

The programme brought together students, out-of-school adolescent girls, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) chairmen, community mentors, school counsellors and representatives of partner organisations to strengthen collective action against child marriage and promote an environment in which girls can remain in school, develop essential life skills and realise their full potential.

In her welcome address, the Project Coordinator of Ekiti AGILE, Mrs Yewande Adesua, emphasised that protecting adolescent girls from early marriage and other harmful practices requires sustained investment in education, effective safeguarding mechanisms and coordinated engagement with the communities in which they live.

She stressed that girls’ empowerment extends beyond school enrolment to include school retention, personal development, access to relevant information, protection from abuse and harmful social practices, and opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their lives.

Adesua highlighted the importance of collaboration among government, development partners, school administrators, parents, traditional institutions and community-based organisations in addressing the social, economic and institutional barriers that prevent girls from completing their education.

She also outlined the reach of Ekiti AGILE’s interventions across 203 public secondary schools in the state’s 16 local government areas. The interventions include school infrastructure improvements, provision of learning facilities, Conditional Cash Transfers and Safe Spaces designed to support girls’ education, wellbeing and personal development.

These interventions, she noted, reflect the importance of combining investments in school infrastructure with measures that address the social and economic challenges affecting girls’ access to education and their ability to remain in school.

Partnerships Critical to Ending Child Marriage

The commemoration underscored the need to move beyond awareness campaigns towards sustained, coordinated action that addresses the underlying factors exposing girls to early marriage and educational exclusion.

Stakeholders emphasised the importance of strengthening community awareness, supporting families, improving access to legal protection, promoting menstrual health and creating safe environments where adolescent girls can seek guidance, report concerns and make informed decisions about their futures.

The engagement also highlighted the importance of involving girls themselves in designing and implementing interventions that affect their education, safety and development.

Participating schools included Oye-Egbo Grammar School, Ekiti State Government College, Oye-Ekiti, Obalatan Comprehensive Grammar School, Ilupeju High School and St. Augustine Comprehensive Grammar School. Representatives of the participating schools, including SBMC chairmen and other community stakeholders, took part in the discussions.

In their goodwill messages, Mr Sola Ogunmoluyi, a retired Permanent Secretary and Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee of Obalatan Comprehensive Grammar School, and Chief Mrs Felicia Ogunmola, the Iyaloja, encouraged adolescent girls to remain committed to their education, make informed decisions and resist pressures that could jeopardise their future.

They stressed that parents, community leaders, educators and other trusted adults have an important role to play in providing guidance, challenging harmful social expectations and creating an environment in which girls can pursue their educational aspirations without fear or discrimination.

Experts Address Legal Protection, Menstrual Health and Girls’ Participation

A major highlight of the event was a thematic panel discussion moderated by Mrs Gbenuola Ayedun, Ekiti AGILE’s Life Skills and Safe Space Component Lead under Component 2.2.

The discussion brought together representatives of the collaborating organisations to examine practical strategies for protecting girls’ rights, preventing child marriage and strengthening the support systems available to adolescent girls.

Barrister Ruth Oluwaleke of NISD addressed the legal rights and protection of girls, highlighting the need to safeguard them against child marriage and other practices that threaten their wellbeing and educational opportunities.

Her contribution examined the responsibilities of families, schools, communities and relevant authorities in protecting girls, identifying situations that place them at risk and ensuring that those whose rights are threatened can access appropriate support.

Mrs Olajumoke Omisore, Founder of the Foundation for Excellent Living and Development (FELAD), focused on menstrual health, dignity and the wellbeing of the girl child.

She highlighted the importance of addressing menstrual health challenges, stigma and inadequate support that can undermine girls’ confidence, school attendance and participation in learning. The discussion reinforced the need for schools and communities to provide accurate information, appropriate support and an environment in which menstruation does not become a barrier to education.

Also speaking, Ms Oreoluwa Olusegun of the Centre for Gender Space Initiative emphasised the importance of listening to adolescent girls and involving them in decisions affecting their education, safety and future.

Her contribution highlighted the value of safe spaces where girls can express their concerns, build confidence, develop life skills and participate meaningfully in identifying solutions to the challenges they face.

Collectively, the discussions reinforced the need for a comprehensive approach that links education, legal protection, health, community engagement and girls’ participation in efforts to prevent child marriage.

A Call for Sustained Investment and Collective Action

The 2026 commemoration highlighted the importance of sustained investment in girls’ education and protection, alongside stronger collaboration among public institutions, development partners and community stakeholders.

For development programmes seeking lasting results, stakeholders’ engagement must be complemented by sustained implementation, effective monitoring, community ownership and evidence of improvements in girls’ access to education, school retention, safety and personal development.

The event also drew attention to the importance of supporting out-of-school adolescent girls and ensuring that interventions reach girls facing economic hardship, harmful social pressures and other barriers to education.

Through its interventions across Ekiti State, AGILE continues to provide a platform for strengthening girls’ educational opportunities and mobilising stakeholders around their protection and empowerment.

The commemoration reaffirmed a shared responsibility to create communities where girls are protected from child marriage, supported to complete their education and empowered to make informed choices about their futures.

Stakeholders called for sustained collaboration and investment to strengthen protection mechanisms, expand access to safe spaces, support families and communities, and ensure that every girl has the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.