The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in Nigeria is currently investigating a proposed mass wedding involving approximately 100 female orphans of undisclosed ages in central Niger state.
The announcement of the mass wedding by Speaker Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji of the Niger State Assembly sparked widespread outrage, leading to the cancellation of the event.
Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye strongly condemned the plans and has taken legal action to halt the marriages pending an investigation into the orphans’ ages and their consent.
Kennedy-Ohanenye emphasized that such actions are unacceptable to the Nigerian government. Sarkin-Daji had initially voiced support for the mass wedding as a form of assistance to constituents affected by attacks from armed bandits, responding to a funding appeal from local leaders.
The planned mass wedding was originally set for May 24th.
“I am withdrawing the support I intended to provide for the marriage of those orphans,” he stated.
“The parents can receive the support money if they wish, and proceed with the marriages.
At present, I am not intimidated by the minister’s actions.”
Forced or arranged marriages persist in Nigeria, despite being prohibited by national laws.
This practice is particularly prevalent in rural areas of the predominantly Muslim north, where cultural and religious norms, including polygamy, endorse such arrangements.
Families often resort to forced marriages due to financial constraints.
According to the European Union Agency for Asylum, girls who resist may face various repercussions, including neglect, social exclusion, physical abuse, and sexual assault.
Raquel Kasham Daniel narrowly escaped forced marriage as a teenager when her father passed away.
Now, she operates a nonprofit organization that provides free formal education to children, particularly underprivileged girls.
According to Daniel, a woman’s ability to evade forced marriage in Nigeria often hinges on her financial independence and level of education.
Recounting her own experience, she shared, “I was 16 when I lost my dad, and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. That gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life.”
She emphasized the importance of education in empowering girls to make informed decisions about their lives, stating, “Education not only increases our awareness of our rights as girls but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning.”
Statistics from Girls Not Brides reveal that thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they reach the age of 18.
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