COVID-19 may force 2.5m girls into child marriage, says don

Studies have revealed that about 2.5 million girls are at risk of getting into early marriage in the country by year 2025 due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Prof. Obehi Okojie of the Faculty of Public Health and Community Medicine in National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) made this known yesterday during the college’s 2021 Faculty Day Lecture at the Kaduna State University (KASU).

Okojie, who gave the lecture themed ‘Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Communities and the Mitigation Efforts’, stated: “Girls are disproportionately affected and the pandemic threatens to undo decades of progress in gender equality.

“Millions of girls might not be going back to school, putting them at risk of adolescent pregnancy, child marriage and violence.”