The Effects of Early Marriage Practice on Education for Girls in Nigeria
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The main objectives of this study are to find out the effects of early marriage practice on girl’s education in Nigeria, specifically, the study intends to;
- Find out the causes of early marriage in Nigeria most especially in the northern region
- Examine the factors that influence early marriage among the Northern citizens of Nigeria
- Analyze the effects of early marriage practice on girl’s education in Nigeria
- Examine the effects of early marriage on the future of female children in Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
GIRL CHILD EDUCATION
Education seems to be a pre-requisite for a sustainable development which could lead a country to achieve maximum profitability within and outside the country (Tola and Asishati (2012). Adedeji (2019) reasoned that lack of education leads to so many unfortunate events in one’s life. Education as a process welcomes changes in different aspects of life and promotes sustainability of society (Huges, Kroechler, and Zanden, 2019). Education is an aspect of human endeavor that leads to socialization Onyekwelu, (2017), he also opined that education can also be seen as a pointer that directs, detects, leads someone in right directions, and equally opens an avenue for problem solving. Moreover, it makes one to acquire and develop high sense of esteem, being able to know his/her personality capacity. Education is the main source of our democratic way of life, economic, political, social and otherwise. It is the utmost way of achievement in our society enveloping human existence, and at the same time, the most economic investment society can be quilt. (Kennedy, 2012) Marriage is found in all cultures as a process by which individual select their partners. It is an old institution which regulates the term upon which male and female reproduce according to well defined and acceptable social norms.
The girl-child, and indeed women all over the world especially in Nigeria have had their destiny sealed from birth by tradition and culture on account of their biological sex. They have been called the weaker sex in order to justify societal discrimination and oppression against them. Their natural rights of place in the scheme of things as human beings are not respected. They are shortchanged, victimized, and stereotyped. The girl-child has become a victim of female trafficking across international borders, being denied education, and consigned to early marriage. They can be seen but not to be heard in both private and the public spaces of decision making. The girl-child by the natural status ascribed to her by male defined norms societal conduct and behaviour remains a property to be owned and commoditized. It is only education that can salvage women from this condition.
The situation in Nigeria is clear, a girl will be withdrawn from school if a good marriage prospects arises. (DHS) data also show a clear link in some other countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Although attitudes towards the education of girls have begun to change even in traditional societies, many parents still believe that investment in a girl’s education is wasted when she is simply going to be married and work in another household. The costs of the investment in education reinforce the imp the impetus towards the girl-child withdrawal from school. In rural areas, secondary education often means that a girl must leave to live in a school dormitory, parent fear that this may expose her to risks including pre-marital sex and pregnancy. In Northern Nigeria, for example, girls are often kept out of school for this very reason even where girls can live at home while attending schools, fears about their possible sexual activity about sexual harassment or about insecurity on the journey to and from school, discourage their attendance. The removal from school of a young girl to marry early limits her opportunities to develop her intellect. She also loses out on socializing, making friends outside her family circle, and many other useful skills. This reduces her chances of developing her own independent identity. The girl grows up with no sense of the right to assert to her own point of view and little experience in articulating one. Lack of self-esteem or of a sense of ownership of he own body expose a girl-child to unwanted pregnancy and make her vulnerable to HIV infection.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
AREA OF STUDY
Niger is a state in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state’s capital is at Minna,. it is bounded to the south by the Niger River. It is also bounded by the states of Kebbi and Zamfara to the north, Kaduna to the north and northeast, Kogi to the southeast, and Kwara to the south. The Abuja Federal Capital Territory is on Niger state’s eastern border, and the Republic of Benin is its western border. The landscape consists mostly of wooded savannas and includes the floodplains of the Kaduna River.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to find out the effects of early marriage practice on girl’s education in Nigeria using Suleja in Niger State as case study.Thus residence Niger State form the population of the study of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of one hundred and Twenty-five (125) questionnaires were administered to respondents, of which one hundred and fifteen (115) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 115 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
The focus of this study is to examine the effect of early marriage practice on education for girls in Nigeria using Niger State as case study. The study find out the causes of early marriage in Nigeria most especially in the northern region. It examined the factors that influence early marriage among the Northern citizens of Nigeria. It analyzed the effects of early marriage practice on girl’s education in Nigeria. It examined the effects of early marriage on the future of female child in Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design and conveniently enrolled participants in the study. A total of 115 responses were received and validated out of 125 issues from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from the residents of Niger State. Data was analyzed using frequencies and tables. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square Statistical tool.
COCNLSUION
From the findings for this research, the researcher is convinced that it has been empirically to establish that early marriage has recorded high rate in Niger State thus many girl-child in that area still denied formal education. Hence it is only few privilege girl children enjoyed formal education, while a substantial number of them are denied the opportunity of acquire functional education that can enable them to develop and improve their skills and full potential. The study has revealed that major factors that are responsible for this ugly situation, ranging, early marriage, poverty, poor parental attitude, economic status of the parent, obnoxious cultural beliefs and gender inequality is common among people in that area.
Above all, parent think that girl’s education is a waste of resources. In conclusion, this study strongly argues that this influences girl-child education in Niger State and must be kicked against by all the stake holders, including government, parents, traditional ruler and the elites in the communities, if not girl child will continue to suffer the influence of early marriage.
RECOMMENDATION
From the findings of this research, the researcher made these recommendations as follows.
- Schools on their own must employ qualified counselors to help inculcate the implications of early marriages on education of the young ones.
- Counseling services should be extended to non-school setting to help parents eradicate the notion or superstition of early marriage among their children especially the females.
- The government through the services of health education practitioners should constantly enlighten the public especially at the rural areas about the dangers of encouraging early marriage among the female children.
- Customarily, every community head should sensitize her people on the ills of early marriage of the girl-child citing what the community stands to lose in particular.
- Religious organizations should constantly sermonize against the early marriage of the girl-child in the society to cushion the effects this development has on the girl-child and the society at large.
REFERENCE
- Abonyi, O.S.; Anugwo, M. Okereke, S. C. and Omebe, C.A. (2016).Foundations of Educational Research and Statistic. Enugu: Fred Ogag Publishers.
- Adedeji (2017). Early school leaving in Africa (ESLA) from Social Exclusion To Active Citizenship.
- Annan, (2016).Delaying marriage for girls in India: Formative research to design interventions for changing Norms
- Brown, G. (2012). Out Of Wedlock, Into School: Combating Child Marriage Through education, London: The office of Gordon and Sarah Brown.
- Dixon-Mueller, R. (2018). “How young is “too Young”? Comparative Perspectives On Adolescent Sexual, Marital, And Reproductive Transitions”, studies in family planning 39 (4): 347-62.
- Donberg (2015). National Emancipation Through Education. Rwand: London publishers.
- Efo, A. (2017). Now, I want A Husband. News Watch December 9, 36 (23) pp 10.
- Egbomuche, J. I. (2012). Influence of Early Marriage on the Education of the Gir-lChild in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.Unpublished, B. Ed Project. Ebonyi State University.
