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The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has compared child marriage in the North to 'taking small girls to hotels' in the South of Nigeria.
She stated this during her appearance on Arise TV's flagship breakfast program, 'The Morning Show,' on Tuesday, June 25.
Her response was propelled by the presenter's question, asking the Minister how she intends to overcome the cultural gaps that have continued to stand as a barrier for women in Nigeria.
The Minister said, "I have partnered with the royal fathers, and I am getting a lot of support from them."
She further reflected on the incident that transpired in Niger State, where the Speaker of the State House of Assembly planned a mass wedding for some young girls who lost their parents to banditry attacks.
The Minister said, "Even if you have checked during the time of Niger State, most of the royal fathers gave me their support. They gave room for dialogue, and we were able to solve the problems."
The Minister noted that empowering women in underserved communities requires partnering with traditional rulers and getting their support.
She recounted how her ministry abolished the barbaric culture of breast ironing in a remote community in the nation's capital, Abuja.
The Minister disclosed that she and her team visited the community to sensitise and empower them and establish an agreement bounded by law and the statutory provision of the constitution to prosecute whoever contravenes the agreement.
"From my experience in Niger State, I think a lot of people do not understand those northerners to an extent. Because of the kind of support I got from them on the issue of early marriages. Some of them did not even realise that probably some were young.
"I don't think I will have issues going there to empower them because the same thing that happens in marrying small girls in the north equally happens in the south by taking small girls to hotels," she added.