Spread the word In this report, JENNIFER BASSEY explores how early marriage affects school dropout rates in rural Nigeria among girls and highlights the community-driven efforts to counter it. Young girls’ shattered dreams In many rural communities across Nigeria, the dream of a young girl to complete her education often collides with centuries-old traditions that expect her to marry before she reaches adulthood. Education is widely recognised as one of the most powerful tools for breaking cycles of poverty; yet, for countless girls, this pathway is blocked by early marriage. Early marriage, defined as marriage before the age of 18, remains a persistent reality in northern and rural areas in different parts of parts of the country where cultural, economic, and religious factors inter...