Cross section of some Adolescent mothers interviewed
Dorcas Daniel Tyena
At 17, Rahila(not real name) still holds tightly to a dream she refuses to let go.
She once imagined herself in a nurse’s uniform, walking briskly through hospital corridors, attending to patients and building a future she could call her own.
But that vision began to fade when she became pregnant at 15, just as she was preparing to complete her secondary school education.
Now, her two-year-old daughter, sits quietly beside her—a constant reminder of how quickly life changed.
“This was not my intention,” she says softly. “But it is a mistake that anyone can make. I am trying to rise above it and still achieve my dream.”
Rahila dropped out of school in SS3, cutting short years of academic effort. Since then, her life has been shaped by loss, rejection, and survival.
Her father is deceased. Her mother, a caterer and a hospital attendant struggles to meet the family’s basic needs.
The father of her child, she says, has refused responsibility. Rejected by both his family and her paternal relatives, she now lives with her maternal grandparents.
“It is my greatest desire to continue my education,” she says. “But my mother cannot afford it.”
To support herself, Rahila learned catering from her mother and now makes small chops to earn an income.
But the emotional toll lingers. “My greatest desire now is to write my exams and pursue my nursing dream, but funds are not available,” she said with a sad face.
“Sometimes I call my friend and she tells me she is in class. I imagine her in her nursing uniform—and I break down and cry.”
Her friend is still in school, pursuing the same dream Rachal had to pause—an everyday reminder of what she lost.
Still, she insists she is not giving up. “I will keep pushing and pursue my dreams. One day, I believe I will achieve them.”
A different path
In Sabon Gari, in the same Kaduna State where Rahila lives, 17-year-old Sadiya (not real name) is living a different version of that reality.
Married at 13 due to financial hardship, she dropped out of school early. Now a mother of two, she has returned to SS1 through a second-chance education programme.
“I love school,” she says. “Education is a fundamental human right. It is a necessity for every human being.”
Her return was made possible through an initiative supporting girls who dropped out due to early marriage and pregnancy—offering them a pathway back into the classroom.
But returning has not been easy.
“Sometimes I regret getting married early because balancing school with my responsibilities as a mother and wife is difficult,” she says.
“But I go back to school because I want to become somebody in the future.” She said smiling.
She hopes to become a journalist.
A widespread crisis
Rahila and Sadiya’s stories are part of a much wider pattern across Northern Nigeria, where adolescent girls’ education is often disrupted by early marriage, pregnancy, poverty, and insecurity.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria has about 10.5 million out-of-school children, one of the highest figures globally, with girls in the northern region disproportionately affected.
In many communities, social norms still prioritise marriage over education for girls.
“In some communities, sending girls to school is not always seen as a priority,” says Ummi Bukar, Executive Director of the PAGED Initiative, a non-governmental organisation focused on gender development.
She explains that many girls are not fully aware of their rights or the long-term value of education.
“There is still a gap in understanding what education truly means and the opportunities it offers. Some girls have been shaped by cultural and economic realities that push them away from school.” Ummi says.
Efforts to close the gap
To address the crisis, programmes like the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) are being implemented across northern states, including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Plateau.
The initiative aims to improve girls’ access to secondary education through scholarships, better school infrastructure, and community engagement.
Alongside this, second-chance education programmes by government and civil society groups seek to reintegrate girls who dropped out due to pregnancy or early marriage.
But significant challenges remain
Dr. Auwalu Halilu, Co-Chair of the K-SAFE Coalition, points to persistent barriers: Limited funding and weak infrastructure,Stigma against adolescent mothers returning to school, Low awareness of re-entry programmes,cultural resistance to girls’ continued education and Weak coordination between schools and social services.
“Many adolescent mothers remain trapped outside the education system, even when they want to return,” he says.
The road ahead
Dr. Auwalu Halilu say addressing the issue will require stronger enforcement of re-entry policies, increased financial support, and community-level advocacy to shift attitudes about girls’ education.
“Education systems must evolve to include adolescent mothers—not as exceptions, but as part of the learning population,” Dr. Halilu adds.
Holding on
For Rahila the classroom is no longer a place she goes—it is a place she remembers.
Yet, even in the face of uncertainty, she holds on—to hope, to possibility, and to a future she still believes is within reach.
Because for girls like Rahila, education is not just a dream deferred—it is a fight for a life not yet lost.
