The 16th Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, has blamed the persistence of child marriage in parts of Northern Nigeria on the failure of government to provide adequate schools and structured opportunities for young girls after primary education.
Sanusi II made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television's breakfast show, '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, in a discussion on culture, education and social reform.
According to the former Central Bank governor, Nigeria's constitution guarantees every child the right to education, but weak enforcement and the absence of basic school facilities have rendered the provision ineffective.
The Emir explained that while public discourse often focuses on child marriage, the structural conditions that push families into such decisions were frequently ignored.
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"We're talking about child marriage, but you go to some parts of the North, there's a primary school and that's it," he said.
According to him, many girls complete primary education at a very young age, with no pathway for further schooling or skills development.
"So the girl finishes at 11. Between 11 and 18, what arrangements have you made for her?" Sanusi II asked.
He listed the absence of secondary schools, skills acquisition centres and social support systems as major gaps.
"There's no secondary school, there's no skill centre, there are no provisions for her life," he said.
Sanusi noted that in such circumstances, 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 explained.
He added that this fear often leads parents to marry off their daughters at the first opportunity available.
"So the next young man that comes, he marries her off.
"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," Sanusi said.
He, however, questioned the practicality of enforcing such laws when the state itself has failed to meet its obligations.
"But how many people have ever been arrested for taking a child out of school? None of them," he said.
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Sanusi argued that the reason enforcement is nonexistent is because government has not provided the necessary schools to accommodate children, especially in rural communities.
"You know why? Because the government has not provided the schools," he stated.
Emir Sanusi II stressed that addressing child marriage required more than moral arguments or cultural condemnation, insisting that government must invest in education and social infrastructure to give young girls viable alternatives.
