Nigeria: education as a path to eliminate child marriage and gender-based violence.

In one of the first global pledging week activities, campaigners in Nigeria started their multi-state campaign in Dutse, Jigawa State, focusing on promoting education as a path to end child marriage and gender-based violence (GBV). Campaigners advocated for the importance of girls' education as a critical measure to combat child marriage in Nigeria, and pledging events saw girls commit to stay in their public school and to oppose child marriage.

A vital element of the Child Marriage Free World campaign is to work in communities and to understand that each community will have different attitudes and challenges regarding child marriage. In Jigawa, activists took into account the influence of religious and cultural beliefs prevalent in the state, and the campaign was strategically designed to promote education for girls while simultaneously addressing the urgent need to eradicate child marriage. 

Teachers, community leaders, and other adults have also pledged to help create a child marriage free world by reporting any child marriages they find out about in their efforts to eliminate the practice in their community. 

Partners leading the work in Nigeria include the Prime Goals Initiative, and further events are planned throughout the week.