Borno Married Teenagers Beg Government for Second Chance at Education

Young women in Tashan Kangele community, Maiduguri, Borno State, who were married as teenagers have appealed to the government to expand access to education and second chance learning opportunities.

The women, who married between the ages of 13 and 16, said they want to return to school to acquire skills, become economically independent and give their children better opportunities.

One of them, 22 year old Fatima Umar, said she was married at 16 and later divorced after expressing her desire to further her education and become a working woman.

“I want to go to school. I crave education,” Umar said, explaining that she left school at Primary Five and hopes to complete her education before turning 30.

Another participant, 18 year old Maryam Abba, said she was married at 14 and now has two children despite never attending school.

“If there is a means for me to go back to school, I will be glad because it will help me to care for my children and for them to also be educated,” she said.

Similarly, Aisha Usman, who said she was married at 13 following the death of her mother, appealed for support to return to school, particularly to learn how to read and write so she can educate her children.

The women spoke during a media engagement organised by the Participatory Communication for Gender Development Initiative.

Programme Director of the organisation, Umi Bukar, urged the government to prioritise women’s education, warning that denying young mothers access to education could perpetuate poverty and illiteracy across generations.

She called for more second chance learning centres, greater public awareness and measures to make such opportunities accessible to married women and adolescent mothers.

Ichie Times