Fayemi decries Nigeria’s 22m child brides, says country may miss 2030 SDGs   

Former First Lady of Ekiti State, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, has expressed concern over Nigeria’s 22 million child brides. 
 
The author and feminist also declared that the country may not achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
 
She spoke at the weekend in Abuja at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Abuja Chapter’s June Reading/Writers Dialogue. 
 
Addressing the gathering, which included the governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, his immediate past predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Nigerian poet and academic, Prof. Tanure Ojaide; renowned author, Prof. Emeka Aniagolu; gender activist and lawyer Bukky Shonibare; development expert, Dr. Otive Igbuzor and former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, the guest writer also faulted the stereotype that political spouses are appendages of their partners. 
 
Speaking on the theme: ‘The writer as an advocate of social and political change’, the policy advocate noted; “Few writers ever get rich from writing.” 

She added: “I write to be heard, bear witness, teach and learn. They are a tiny percentage (of rich writers). I would like to believe that we do not write for money. Yet, we are astronomically rich when it comes to imagination, creativity, passion, courage, envisioning and engineering. These are the attributes that help transform society.” 
 
Fayemi lamented that Nigeria features poorly on most global indicators that measure gender equality and women’s empowerment. 
 
Her words: “The most recent gender gap index 2023 ranks Nigeria as 130th out of 146 countries. 
 
“Nigeria has one of the largest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world at 12 per cent, right after India with 17 per cent. 
 
“Nigeria also has the highest number of child brides at 22 million – the highest in West Africa – and the 11th highest globally. 
 
“Not only did Nigeria not meet any of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we might not meet most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030 either.
 
“If by miracle, we manage to meet a few of the targets, we will not meet SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality by ending all forms of discrimination, violence and harmful traditional practices against women and girls.
 
“In Nigeria, we have approximately 3.5per cent of women in the National Assembly. And when it comes to representation at state level, there are at least 15 out of 36 states where there are no women at all.”