PAGED Initiative trains journalists on reporting issues of married adolescents, young mothers

By Uzair Adam On Apr 9, 2026

PAGED Initiative, journalists , married adolescents, young mothers, Zaria, — PAGED Initiative trains journalists on reporting issues of married adolescents, young mothers

A capacity-building workshop for journalists on reporting issues affecting married adolescents and adolescent mothers has commenced in Zaria, Kaduna State, bringing together media professionals from Kano, Maiduguri and Kaduna states.

SolaceBase reports that the training, organised under the Married Adolescents and Adolescent Mothers Social Impact Project by PAGED Initiative, aims to strengthen journalists’ understanding of the realities faced by young married girls and mothers, particularly in relation to education.

Speaking during the workshop, the Programme Director of PAGED Initiative, Ummi Bukar, said the media was deliberately engaged in the project because of its influence in shaping public discourse and informing society.

“The media are the most important component of society because they are very close to the people. They inform the people, help shift conversations and direct public discourse,” she said.

Bukar explained that married adolescents are often a neglected group because they fall between two categories in society.

She said many of them are no longer treated as children yet are not fully recognised as adults, which often leads to their exclusion from policies and programmes designed to support vulnerable groups.

According to her, the project focuses on the issue because many girls drop out of school due to early marriage and are unable to continue their education.

“There are a lot of girls who marry early and do not have access to education, yet every child should have the opportunity to go to school,” she added.

On policies that could help change the situation, Bukar pointed to the Child’s Rights Act as one of the key legal frameworks protecting children in Nigeria.

She noted that the law criminalises early marriage and supports compulsory education, but said stronger implementation and policy expansion are needed.

Bukar also advocated extending the scope of the Universal Basic Education Act beyond the current nine years of schooling.

“We want the law to cover 12 years of education so that both boys and girls can complete their secondary school education and obtain their certificates,” she said.

She further described the media as a powerful tool for behavioural change and agenda setting, noting that consistent reporting on the issue could help shift societal attitudes.

“The more the media engage in a topic, the more people begin to think about it and reflect on it,” Bukar said.

Also speaking at the event, the co-chair of the Kano State Accountability Forum on Education, Dr Auwal Halilu, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening journalists’ capacity to report education issues affecting young mothers and married adolescents.

He explained that the training was designed more as a review and reflection session rather than a platform to teach entirely new skills.

According to him, journalists already play an important role in highlighting social issues, but a deeper understanding of the education landscape would help them tell more impactful stories.

Dr Halilu said his presentation focused on solution-oriented reporting and encouraged journalists to highlight opportunities within the education sector.

“The idea is to move beyond only reporting barriers and begin to focus on solutions and opportunities that can improve education for adolescent mothers,” he said.

He added that his paper also shared insights drawn from field experiences in communities to help journalists better understand the realities faced by young married girls.

“We are sharing what is happening in reality in the field, not speculation,” Halilu said, noting that such insights would help journalists tell more accurate and impactful stories.

A facilitator at the workshop, Femke Van Zeijl, described the training as an opportunity for journalists to exchange experiences and learn from one another.

Zeijl, a Dutch journalist who has lived and worked in Nigeria for over 15 years, said journalists often develop quick professional connections because of shared ethics and values.

“It is always interesting to meet colleagues because even if you are from different countries or speak different languages, journalists often share similar professional ethics,” she said.

She added that the workshop also allowed her to share lessons from her years of reporting in Nigeria while giving back to the profession.

“It is nice to talk to colleagues and share experiences from the field,” she said.

Zeijl emphasised the importance of inclusive storytelling, noting that journalists must remain conscious of personal biases when reporting on vulnerable groups.

“It is important to realise that everyone deserves the right to be heard and to have the same opportunities as others,” she said.

The workshop forms part of broader efforts under the Married Adolescents and Adolescent Mothers Social Impact Project to promote inclusive education and improve public understanding of the challenges faced by young married girls and mothers.