By Mardiyyah Abubakar
Parents, traditional and community leaders, and other stakeholders have been urged to strengthen positive parenting and invest in the education, health and future of girls to help end child marriage in Bauchi and Gombe states.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) made the call on Thursday during an engagement in Gombe to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
The event brought together traditional leaders, women’s groups, development partners, the media and girls from Bauchi and Gombe states.
UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhrat Rafiq, said positive parenting was one of the key interventions needed to address harmful social norms, particularly child marriage.
Rafiq said child marriage remained a serious concern in both states and warned that the practice could prevent girls from reaching their full potential.
She urged stakeholders across the education, health, nutrition and social sectors to invest in girls and support efforts to end child marriage.
“Positive parenting is one of the key interventions because the decision is in the hands of parents, especially fathers,” she said.
Rafiq also identified education as one of the most effective ways to delay child marriage and improve girls’ future opportunities.
She urged stakeholders to ensure that every girl, including those living with disabilities, has equal access to education.
UNICEF Bauchi Field Office Child Protection Specialist, Lafiya Alabi, identified harmful social norms and traditional practices as major barriers to the rights and development of girls.
He said UNICEF was working with traditional and religious leaders, communities and other stakeholders to promote practices that protect girls and discourage harmful ones.
Alabi also warned that child marriage and early pregnancy could result in health complications, school dropout and reduced career opportunities for girls.
The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on October 11. This year’s theme is “Ending Child Marriage and Investing in the Girl Child.
