Why I Chose Marriage Over Staying at Home — 16-Year-Old Borno Girl

According to a report by PUNCH on Sunday, May 17, 2026, a 16-year-old Borno State girl, whose identity has been suppressed, said she dropped out of school and married after her parents gave her little options due to economic issues. The adolescent told PUNCH Online this in an exclusive interview at a PAGED Initiative media forum in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Saturday.

She said she was not pressured into marriage, but she thought that staying at home without education or meaningful connection would hurt her future. She claimed that a Borno State Government demolition effort halted her schooling in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS 3), affecting her family’s livelihood.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>