The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that poverty, inequality and government failure are the major drivers of child marriage and violence against women in Nigeria, insisting that culture must not be used to justify abuse.
Sanusi made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview with Channels Television, where he condemned domestic violence and child marriage, stressing that every Nigerian is entitled to protection under the law.
“You cannot beat a woman because your culture says you can beat her. She is a Nigerian citizen entitled to protection,” the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor said.
According to the Emir, many acts often blamed on culture are actually the result of unequal power relations, widespread poverty and the failure of government to provide basic services, particularly in rural communities.
“This violence happens in all societies; it’s not about African culture,” he said. “When men have power and women are not protected, men will take advantage of that power and oppress them. Women, children, the poor and persons with disabilities are all victims.”
Speaking on child marriage, Sanusi explained that the practice is largely driven by structural challenges facing poor families, especially in rural areas where access to education and social services is limited.
He noted that many girls complete primary school at about 11 years old but have no access to secondary schools, skills centres or safe environments to continue their development.
“Between 11 and 18, what arrangements have you made for her?” he asked. “The poor man basically finds that she is 12 or 13; he is afraid that she can get pregnant on the road, and the next young man that comes, he marries her off. Sometimes these cultures basically reflect poverty.”
The Emir criticised what he described as an urban bias that ignores the harsh realities of rural life, where schools are far apart, roads are unsafe and local government services are largely absent.
“It’s easy to blame culture. It’s easy to blame the victim. But the government has not provided the schools,” he said.
Sanusi added that poor road networks, unsafe travel conditions and long distances to local government centres further worsen the situation for girls in remote communities.
Despite the complexity of the issues, the Emir insisted that Nigeria must draw clear moral and legal boundaries.
“As a nation, we need to have certain common agreements and values,” he said, adding that violence against women and children is unacceptable.
“It doesn’t matter what you think your culture says. The Nigerian law does not allow you to do it.”
He concluded by stating that many practices described as tradition are, in fact, a “culture of oppression” sustained by violence and exploitation, stressing that such abuses must end to protect Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.
