The Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care, a non-governmental organization, has taken on the important role of advocating for the implementation of by-laws against child marriage in every local government within Nigeria, with a special focus on Lagos State.
This development comes after the organization launched its, ‘Too young to Marry’, magazine in Lagos state, to ensure the enactment of the by-law against child marriage in all local governments.
Founder of the foundation, Bella Akhagba disclosed that, the organization is advocating against child marriage through regular seminars, advocacy and workshop.
In her words;
“Our advocacy journey started in Ojo local government area of Lagos before moving to Lagos Mainland in Ijora and Makoko communities which was aimed at working together with the local government officers and other people at the grassroots to advocate the enactment of the by-law against child marriage.
“We have been able to meet with of officers of Ojo local government to draft the by-law against child marriage.
“Now, we are scaling up to Makoko and Ijora communities. Our objective was to identify 10 teenagers who are now survivors of child marriage. We are working with other civil society organizations within Ijora and Makoko and media partners who are collaborating with us in this advocacy.
“We have been able to help survivors of child marriage return back to school. Some of them who were dropped out of school as a result of child marriage are now back to school.
“Our goal was to advocate and convince the government at the grassroots level on the need to focus on rescuing the girl child by enacting the by-law against child marriage”.
Other CSOs that collaborated with Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care for the Advocacy visit were Cece Yara Foundation, Interfaith, Centre for Behaviour Change Communication, Civil Society Coalition to end child marriage in Nigeria.
The advocacy visit was organized by Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care in partnership with Mundo Cooperate, to advocate to the Executive Chairman of Mainland local government on the importance of enacting a by-law against child marriage.
Executive Chairman, Lagos Mainland local government, Omolola Essein, while receiving the “Too young to Marry” magazine, promised to enact the by-law and ask the legal office to start the process of the draft with input from CSOs present.
|Vanguard
