International Day of the Girl Child: Makinde Pledges Free Education, Healthcare
Chuks Okocha in Abuja A Seyi Makinde-led administration would prioritise free education, vocational training, adolescent healthcare and stronger enforcement of child-protection laws to reduce child marriage and keep more Nigerian
On the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on October 11, the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation announced a commitment to free education, vocational training, adolescent healthcare, and the enforcement of child-protection laws. Director of National Women Coordination, Hon. Toyin Balogun, highlighted the administration's plan to replicate the successful free education policy implemented in Oyo State to tackle Nigeria's high out-of-school population.
Additional initiatives include vocational and artisanal training programs, strengthening child-protection laws, and expanding legal aid and protection services for vulnerable girls. The 2026 observance theme, "End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls Rights," emphasizes the need to address harmful social norms associated with early marriage.
Balogun stressed the importance of community sensitisation programmes to educate families and communities about the negative consequences of child marriage, such as vesicovaginal fistula, maternal and neonatal deaths.
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