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Educational Attainment and Early Marriage Practice: A Study of Hausa/Fulani Settlers in Southwest, Nigeria

Article Number: e2025547  |  Available Online: November 2025  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2025.19.547

Omolola Silva Asagba , Moses Metumara Duruji , Felix C. Chidozie , Goddy Uwa Osimen

Abstract

Background/purpose. The study explores how educational attainment among migrant communities in Lagos and Oyo states shapes perceptions and practices of early marriage. Using primary sources of data collection, focus group discussions and interviews were conducted with Hausa/Fulani parents, adolescent girls, and community leaders in Lagos and Oyo, respectively.

Materials/methods. The sample size of this study is 107 respondents. The collected data underwent thematic analysis. To facilitate this process, NVivo software version 14 was employed for data organisation, coding, and pattern identification.

Results. Key findings indicate a significant relationship between educational attainment and the incidence of early marriage among Hausa/Fulani settlers. Education is increasingly seen as a transformative factor that delays early marriage, especially in Lagos, where exposure to diverse ethnic groups and modern educational and alternative educational opportunities cultivates progressive attitudes. In Oyo, the influence of education is also apparent; however, traditional and economic constraints contribute to a more multifaceted reality.

Conclusion. The study concludes that education not only protects girls from early marriage but also plays a key role in shifting social norms over time.  The study recommends that policies should focus on ensuring that Hausa/Fulani girls in both Lagos and Oyo have uninterrupted access to quality education. This includes expanding tuition-free secondary education, providing scholarships, and addressing socio-economic barriers that hinder school attendance.

Keywords: Early marriage, education, Lagos, Oyo, Nigeria, Hausa, Fulani

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