Stakeholders and the Participatory Communication for Gender Development Initiative (PAGED Initiative) have urged journalists to scale up coverage of married adolescent girls and young mothers in Northern Nigeria.
The call was made during a two-day capacity-building workshop held in Zaria, Kaduna State, under the Married Adolescents and Adolescent Mothers Social Impact Project.
The workshop brought together media practitioners from Kano, Borno and Kaduna States, with a focus on improving reportage on girl-child education and the realities faced by young mothers.
Speaking at the event, the Programme Director of PAGED Initiative, Ummi Bukar, said the media plays a crucial role in driving advocacy and influencing policy.
According to her, journalism should go beyond routine reporting to shaping public discourse and promoting social change.
“We don’t just report issues; we follow through with advocacy to ensure that identified needs are addressed,” she said.
Bukar noted that married adolescent girls remain largely invisible in policy frameworks, as they are often overlooked in interventions targeted at either children or adults.
She identified early marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty and cultural pressures as key factors pushing many girls out of school, particularly in Kaduna, Kano and Borno States.
Also speaking, Dr Auwalu Halilu of Bayero University Kano said adolescence should be a period for education, skills development and identity formation.
He, however, noted that early marriage disrupts this stage, exposing girls to health risks, emotional stress and limited economic opportunities.
Halilu added that stigma, rigid school systems, financial challenges and household responsibilities often prevent married girls from returning to school.
He called for inclusive interventions involving families, community leaders and policymakers to address the issue.
Bukar further stressed that sustained, solution-driven media coverage would help reshape public perception and strengthen advocacy efforts aimed at improving the lives of adolescent girls.
