Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has cautioned that the state will no longer tolerate child marriage. He vowed to enforce the laws protecting the rights and dignity of the girl-child.

According to him, the warning was a bold stance against entrenched cultural practices that are threatening the well-being of young girls. The governor, who spoke during a one-day media hangout, capacity training and policy advocacy in Ilorin for selected journalists, non-governmental organisations and other key stakeholders, themed: “Safeguarding our adolescents at homes, schools and communities to reach their full potential,” organised by Chidimma and Havilah Foundation, in collaboration with the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), warned that early marriage poses grave danger to girls’ health, future and freedom.

He disclosed that the state had domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, saying: “We are fully committed to its implementation.”

Early marriage is not only a violation of the Child Rights Act, but also a life-threatening menace that leads to complications like obstetric fistula and robs young girls of their dreams.”

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Social Development, Dr Mariam Nnafatima-Imam, commended the partnering NGOs, pledging his administration’s support for adolescents in the state.

In his lecture, titled: “Empowering the Next Generation: The Media’s Role in Nurturing Safe Environments for Adolescents,” Kwara State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Abdulganiyu Dare, reinforced the need for national mobilisation and grassroots advocacy to uphold the rights of every Nigerian child.

He said that media literacy, parental responsibility, and sustained government actions are keys to reversing the trend of violence, neglect, and abuse facing Nigerian adolescents.

In his welcome address, Chairman of the NUJ Kwara Council, Abdullateef Lanre Ahmed, drew attention to the alarming rise in technology-driven gender-based violence, citing recent cases of ritual-related killings involving young girls.

In his remark, the founder of Chidimma and Havilah Foundation, Tope Omotosho, who spoke through Havilah Omotosho, emphasised the Foundation’s dedication to adolescent empowerment, particularly for vulnerable girls.

MEANWHILE, the state government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has drawn the public attention to a flood risk warning issued by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre in Abuja, based on projections of heavy rainfall in the coming days across several parts of the country.

According to the Press Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ashaolu Omotola, although the alert identifies multiple locations nationwide, Jebba and surrounding communities in Moro Local Council have been specifically listed among the areas at heightened risk within Kwara State. The warning coincides with the peak of the rainy season, a period often associated with intense downpours, flash floods, and related disruptions.