International Law and the Right to Education: Examining Access for Girls in Northern Nigeria

This paper examines the right to education under international law with a focus on girls' access to education in Northern Nigeria, particularly in the North West and North East geopolitical zones where female school enrolment and completion rates remain critically low. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), CEDAW, and UNESCO's Education for All framework collectively establish a robust international legal architecture for the right to education, including its applicability to girls on equal terms with boys. Using a descriptive methodology, the study analyses Nigeria's obligations under these instruments, the relevant provisions of the Universal Basic Education Act, and the state of girls' education in Katsina, Kebbi, Borno, and Gombe States. It examines the impact of armed conflict, poverty, cultural barriers, child marriage, and distance to school as compound obstacles to female enrolment and retention. The paper also evaluates the effectiveness of programmes such as the Safe Schools Initiative and UNICEF's Girls' Education Project in the context of Nigeria's international commitments. Findings indicate substantial compliance deficits particularly in states that have not domesticated the Child Rights Act, where customary practices limiting girls' education continue unchallenged by law enforcement. Recommendations include accelerated domestication of the Child Rights Act across all states, enhanced budgetary allocations for girls' education, and legal prohibition of child marriage with enforceable sanctions. Keywords: right to education, girls' education, CRC, CEDAW, Northern Nigeria.