The Nigeria Police Force and the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), alongside the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation, have called for stronger child protection policies, effective enforcement of laws against child marriage, improved access to education and coordinated interventions to safeguard girls’ rights and secure their future.
The call was made in Abuja during the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child celebration, organised by the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) in collaboration with POWA, under the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
In her address, the National President of POWA, Mrs Mutiat Olufumilola Disu, urged stakeholders to strengthen child protection policies, enforce laws against child marriage and ensure vulnerable girls have access to education, healthcare and support services.
Represented by Mrs Zainab Isyaku Mohammed, She called on parents to listen to their daughters, communities to abandon harmful practices and families to raise boys who respect girls and understand their rights.
“Marriage is for adults, not children. Let children remain children,” she said.
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Disu warned that child marriage could cut short girls’ education, expose them to early pregnancy and undermine their physical, emotional and economic well-being.
She added that protecting girls was a shared responsibility, requiring families and institutions to challenge harmful social norms while preserving positive cultural values.
“A girl is not a bride waiting to be chosen; she is a future waiting to unfold,” she said.
Delivering a keynote address on “Investing In The Rights Of The Girl Child: Ending Child Marriage And Building A Safer Future For Every Girl”, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, CP Sarah Ehindero, said protecting children was a statutory responsibility of the Police, not an act of charity.
“We are not doing you a favour, but rather we are performing our statutory duties,” she said.
Ehindero identified poverty, gender discrimination, harmful cultural practices, insecurity and inadequate access to education among factors that increase girls’ vulnerability to abuse, trafficking and child marriage.
She said the Police worked with medical personnel, social welfare officers, relevant ministries and the justice system to investigate reported cases and protect children’s best interests.
The commissioner also highlighted prevention, public awareness, community engagement and early intervention as essential to reducing abuse, urging girls to report threats and seek help.
“When we educate a girl, we empower an individual. When we protect a girl, we strengthen a family. When we invest in girls, we build stronger communities and a more prosperous nation,” Ehindero said.
In a message, Super Falcons captain and founder of the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation, Rasheedat Ajibade, urged girls to take education seriously, protect their dignity and speak to trusted adults when confronted with abuse or threats.
She said the foundation was committed to creating opportunities for girls and reminding them that present circumstances need not determine their future.
“At the Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation, our mission is to help create those opportunities and remind girls that their circumstances today do not have to define their tomorrow,” she stated.
Ajibade encouraged girls to believe in their potential and support one another, stressing that collaboration with POCACOV and the Police could help create safer spaces for them to learn, grow and thrive.
The speakers stressed that ending child marriage requires collective action by law enforcement agencies, families, schools, traditional and religious leaders, communities and development partners to protect girls from harmful practices and expand opportunities for their development.
