Socioeconomic Arguments in the Discourse on Girl-Child Right to Education in Nigeria

Abstract

It is evident that the deprivation of girl-children of their rights is a deeply-rooted phenomenon in societies across the globe that has thwarted all attempts to quell it. This article examines the enduring question of the deprivation of girl-children of their right to formal education in Nigeria. It shows that the right to formal education is deemed a fundamental human right and is thus non-negotiable and inalienable. The article then evaluates the determinants of this deprivation in Nigerian society and demonstrates that economic factors constitute the common denominator. The article also shows that cultural factors and the current COVID-19 pandemic are elements underpinning the perpetuation of the deprivation of girl-children of their right to education. The article demonstrates the destructive effects of the phenomenon on Nigerian society, the imperativeness of modernisation, and how the obligation to comply with international legal standards has placed the country in a complex situation. Its perpetuation in Nigeria has become a matter of great concern for authorities and other stakeholders. Hence, the article concludes that there is a need for a paradigm shift in approaches to the question in terms of law and policy responses.