The 16th Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, has attributed the rising incidence of child marriage in Northern Nigeria to the shortage of schools and weak educational infrastructure in the region.
Sanusi made the remarks on Wednesday, February 4, during an interview on Channels Television.
According to the former Central Bank governor, although Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every child the right to education, poor enforcement and the absence of adequate school facilities have made this right largely ineffective in many northern communities.
He noted that public discussions often focus on condemning child marriage, while ignoring the structural factors that push families into such decisions.
“We talk about child marriage, but in some parts of the North, you find only a primary school and nothing more,” he said.
Sanusi explained that many girls complete primary education at a very young age, often around 11, with no access to secondary schools, skills acquisition centres, or meaningful social support.
“So the girl finishes at 11. Between 11 and 18, what arrangements have you made for her?” he asked.
He listed the absence of secondary education, vocational training centres, and welfare systems as critical gaps that leave families with limited options.
“There’s no secondary school, there’s no skills centre, there are no provisions for her life,” he said.
The Emir stressed that in such conditions, poverty and fear — rather than culture — often drive early marriages.
“The poor man fears that she’s 12 or 13 and might get pregnant while roaming around,” he explained, adding that parents then marry off their daughters at the first available opportunity.
Sanusi also questioned the enforcement of laws protecting children’s right to education, noting that while removing a child from school is technically an offence, no one is ever prosecuted.
“But how many people have ever been arrested for taking a child out of school? None,” he said.
He argued that enforcement is weak because the government itself has failed to provide enough schools, particularly in rural areas.
“The reason is simple: the government has not provided the schools,” he stated.
Sanusi concluded that tackling child marriage requires more than moral outrage or cultural criticism, insisting that meaningful progress can only come through sustained government investment in education and social infrastructure to give young girls real alternatives.