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Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria: The Maternal and Child Health Country-Wide Policy

Kabusa16 / CC BY-SA
Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 17, Issue 01 | September 30, 2020

Policy Memo: ​Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria: The Maternal and Child Health Country-Wide Policy

Hawa Iye Obaje, Chinelo Grace Okengwu, Aimable Uwimana, Henry Kanoro Sebineza, Chinonso Emmanuel Okorie

University of Global Health Equity, Bill and Joyce Cummings Institute of Global Health, Butaro, Burera, Rwanda
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170116
Keywords: child marriage; girls; early marriage; SDG 3; global health; equity; Nigeria

Executive Summary: Reduction in child marriage is highly correlated with a decline in maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Nigeria has taken a step to reduce child marriage through the Child Rights Act; however, 11 states in the Northeast and Northwest are yet to implement these laws despite the documented benefits. Estimates predict that a 70% reduction of maternal deaths can be achieved by a 10% reduction in child marriage. Additionally, the $7.6 billion lost in earning and productivity of human capital from child marriage annually can be averted. A reduction in child marriage can also decrease violence against girls and improve educational level attainment. We propose that the Nigerian government should enact the Maternal and Child Health Country-wide Policy to give a national security treatment to maternal and child health matters. It will ensure that policies passed at the federal level with the potential to reduce maternal and child mortality can be automatically adopted nationwide.

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References

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  3. Braimah, Tim S. 2014. “Child Marriage: The Danger within Part 1 Section 61 of the 1999 Constitution and Its Barrier to Legally Protect Children Against Child Marriage in Nigeria.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 474–88. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2309374.
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  6. Girls Not Brides. 2013. “Talking Points: Child Marriage and Maternal and Child Health,” 3. https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Child-marriage-and-maternal-health-Girls-Not-Brides-Updated-27-May-2013.pdf.
  7. Kennedy, Dasmine. 2017. “The Jamaican Reintegration Policy for School-Aged Mothers_ A Step in the Right Direction_,” 2015–18.
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  10. Raj, Anita, and Ulrike Boehmer. 2013. “Girl Child Marriage and Its Association With National Rates of HIV, Maternal Health, and Infant Mortality Across 97 Countries.” Violence Against Women 19 (4): 536–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213487747.
  11. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. 2016. “National Strategy to End Child Marriage in Nigeria.” Unicef. https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/end-child-marriage.
  12. UNICEF. 2013. “Education _ UNICEF Nigeria.” https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/education
  13. Ujam, Nonyelum. 2019. “Child Marriage in Nigeria: Wedded to Poverty.” YaleGlobal Online, 1–8. https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/child-marriage-nigeria-wedded-poverty.
  14. UN. 2019. “#Envision2030: 17 Goals to Transform the World for Persons with Disabilities | United Nations Enable.” The UN, 1–4. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/envision2030.html.
  15. Walker, Judith-Ann. 2019. “Building Resilience and Resistance to Child, Early, and Forced Marriage through Acquiring Skills Findings from Implementation Research in Nigeria Building Resilience and Resistance to Child, Early, and Forced Marriage through Acquiring Skills: Findings Fr.” Global Economy and Development at Brookings, 1–50. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Findings-from-Implementation-Research-in-Nigeria-FINAL.pdf.
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  19. Yaya, Sanni, Emmanuel Kolawole Odusina, and Ghose Bishwajit. 2019. “Prevalence of Child Marriage and Its Impact on Fertility Outcomes in 34 Sub-Saharan African Countries.” BMC International Health and Human Rights 19 (1): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-019-0219-1

Hawa I. Obaje holds an MSc in Global Health Delivery from the University of Global Health Equity. Hawa has experience in the field of research, sexual and reproductive health in Nigeria and Rwanda. She is passionate about advancing the health and rights of vulnerable populations.
 
Chinelo G. Okengwu is a medical doctor with a wealth of experience in Child Health and is passionate about improving health care delivery among vulnerable populations, especially for disadvantaged children. She recently graduated from the University of Global Health Equity with a master’s degree in Global Health Delivery.
 
Aimable Uwimana holds an MSc in Global Health Delivery from the University of Global Health Equity and a BA in Healthcare Management at Southern New Hampshire University. Aimable has experience in the field of research and non-communicable diseases education in Rwanda. He is passionate about addressing the social determinants of health, especially among vulnerable communities.
 
Henry K. Sebineza is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is passionate about equity and social justice. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Management with a concentration in Global Perspectives from Southern New Hampshire University through Kepler University Program and an MSc in Global Health Delivery from the University of Global Health Equity.
 
Chinonso E. Okorie is a Nigerian humanitarian medical doctor and holds a Master of Science in Global Health Delivery graduate from the University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda. He writes from his passion for serving marginalized, poor, and vulnerable population groups with social justice.
 
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank our professor and lecturers Dr. Zahirah McNatt, Enock Ruwanuza and Chisom Nwaneri for teaching us the Health Policy and Political Economy Course, their unwavering support and guidance throughout this process. Also, to our lawyer friends Nuradeen Abdulmumim Esq, Darlington Friday Okeoga Esq, and Mumuni Damilola Esq, we appreciate your critical review efforts.
 
Disclaimer
The authors wrote this work; any parts quoted from other sources have been referenced without exception.

DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

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