Exploring the Relationship Between Adult Education and Reduction of Early Marriage in North West Nigeria

This study explores the relationship between adult education provision and early marriage prevalence in North West Nigeria, contributing to the evidence base on how education intervention can address one of the region's most significant human rights and development challenges. The North West has Nigeria's highest rates of child and early marriage, with consequences for girls' educational attainment, maternal health, and long-term economic outcomes. Adult education programmes targeting young women and their families have been proposed as one component of a multi-sectoral response, but rigorous evidence on their impact on early marriage prevalence is limited. This study uses a multilevel mixed-method design, combining secondary analysis of state-level early marriage prevalence data from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey with a survey of 260 adult education programme participants aged 16 to 25 in Kano, Jigawa, and Zamfara States and qualitative interviews with 30 programme staff and community leaders. The relationship between girls' adult education enrolment rates and early marriage prevalence is examined at community and household levels. Findings reveal a significant negative relationship between adult education programme access and early marriage rates at the community level. Individual participation in adult education is associated with stronger intentions to delay marriage and higher awareness of marriage rights. Male family member attitudes remain the most powerful proximate determinant of marriage timing. The study concludes that adult education is a necessary but not sufficient intervention for reducing early marriage in the Northwest. It recommends complementary family and community engagement components.

Keywords: early marriage, adult education, North West Nigeria, girls' education, gender equality.