A 16-year-old girl in Maiduguri, whose identity is being protected, says she chose marriage after her parents gave her two options: remain at home without schooling or get married.
Speaking during a media dialogue organised by the PAGED Initiative in Borno State, the teenager explained that poverty and hardship pushed her family into the difficult decision.
She said her education ended after Junior Secondary School when the demolition of her father’s mechanic workshop by the state government forced the family to relocate. With her father struggling financially after losing his business along the Borno Expressway, she could no longer continue school.
“Three months after the demolition, I got married at 16,” she said. “I was not forced, but I had only two choices — stay at home without school or get married. I chose marriage.”
According to her, her husband had promised to sponsor her education after marriage, but six months later, financial challenges have made that impossible.
Despite her situation, the teenager says she still hopes to return to school and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.
“I always think about going back to school,” she said. “My dream is to become a medical doctor.”
The Programme Director of the PAGED Initiative, Umi Bukar, described the story as one of many similar cases across Northern Nigeria, where girls are often forced to choose between education and marriage due to economic hardship.
She called for stronger laws to ensure every child completes secondary school and urged governments to improve access to schools in rural communities.
