The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye says the Nigerian government is committed to ending child marriage and other gender-based societal ills through the use of data and accelerated action, in partial fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The minister said this during her presentation at a high-level event convened by the governments of Canada and Zambia, and donor agencies as part of activities of the 2023 United Nations General Assembly, taking place in New York.
She highlighted recent legal reforms aimed at addressing child marriage in Nigeria, which include the Child Rights Act, domesticated in 35 states, and the FCT, adding that an amendment is ongoing at the National Assembly to push for stiffer penalties for defaulters.
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Gambia’s Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Doreen Mwamba, Serbia’s Minister of Homes Affairs, Darija Kisic, and Canada’s Assistant Minister of Domestic Affairs, Peter MacDougall called for a multi-sectoral plan that will improve investment and accountability to end harmful practices against children.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
