SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS IMPEDING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

The article underscores the Socio-Cultural and Economic Factors Impeding the Sustainable Development of Girl-Child Education in Northern Nigeria. It was based on the literatures which were reviewed. It also begins with some conceptual clarifications—of girl-child, girl-child education and sustainable development; and in addition, the article has been underpinned by a feminist theory of “gender inequality” propounded by Marx. The education of the girl-child is something that is of paramount importance but, despite that, there are a lot of factors which have been identified as the challenges of girl-child education in the northern part of Nigeria—social, cultural and economic factors. The social factors, for example, are numerous—illiteracy/ ignorance, educational inaccessibility, poor educational infrastructures in schools, social insecurity and sexual harassment. Under the cultural factors, there are gender stereotyping, early marriage, forced marriage, and interpretation of religious doctrines. However, economically, there are also some challenges or factors impeding the development of girl-child education—low economic incomes of parents, commercial value of girls, unemployment, commercial child labour and commercial sex. Lastly, there are also the conclusion and recommendations in the article. It was recommended that, the girl-child education should be re-intensified and some cultural practices deterring the development of girl-child education in the north should be abolished. The religious leaders are expected to play some fundamental roles in the development of the girl-child education and there should be an effective “Criminal Justice System” for social security. However, the “Poverty Alleviation Programmes” of the governments should be re- intensified and more parents should be provided with job opportunities. The essence of doing that is to cater for the daily needs of the families and their development.