尼日利亚少女致富之路

Pathways to prosperityfor adolescent girls inNigeria 1. Nigeria at a Glance A. Country context Nigeria is a lower-middle-income country that, at thenational level, stands out among African countriesfor its relatively low prevalence of marriage andchildbearing, alongside moderate educationalachievement and economic participation ratesamong adolescent girls (ages 15-19).1However,these national averages mask profound geographicdisparities. Girls in the northern zones — particularlythe North West and North East, where insecurity,insurgency and conflict compound structuraldisadvantages — face dramatically worse outcomesthan their counterparts in the south. Gender andsocioeconomic disparities further reinforce thesedivides, making targeted, regionally differentiatedinterventions essential. Despite this, Nigeria has a unique opportunity toharness its untapped economic potential. Investing inadolescent girls today can yield substantial returnsby boosting productivity and fostering economicgrowth. Estimates suggest that investing in adolescent girls inNigeria between now and 2040 could generate morethan $400 billion in additional income for a cost ofaround $37 billion. On a regional level, the “Pathwaysto Prosperity for Adolescent girls in Africa”2reportestimates that similar investments across Africacould generate more than an estimated $2.4 trillionin additional income for a cost of around $200billion3(Ajayi and Koussoubé, 2024).4 B. Key developmentindicators: C. Key policyopportunities: To increase Nigeria’s educational achievements andunlock economic opportunities, priorities should beto: →School enrollment: 45.7% of girls aged 15-19are in school (34.7% are exclusively in school).This is lower than the Africa average of 51.5%. →Identify and target the most vulnerable groupsof girls, mitigating geographical and wealthdisparities →Marriage and childbearing: 80.8% of girlsaged 15-19 are unmarried without children,higher than the Africa average of 73.4%. →Economic engagement: 30.6% of girls aged15-19 are working (11% combining school andwork, 19.6% exclusively working), higher thanthe Africa average of 22.3%. →Improve sexual and reproductive healthoutcomes and shift gender norms →Improve girls’ access to, retention in, andcompletion of school, particularly at thesecondary level →Legal framework: Nigeria scores 51.1 out of100 on the World Bank’s Women, Business andthe Law (WBL) 2026 legal frameworks index,lower than the Sub-Saharan Africa average of59.6. In addition, Nigeria scores 49 out of 100on the supportive frameworks index (WBL,2026).5 →Improve access to productive assets and high-return economic opportunities. Improve legal and policy frameworks This context sets the stage for targetedinterventions that can help Nigeria maximizeits investment in girls’ education throughimproved economic opportunities and strongerimplementation of existing legal and policyframeworks. →Internet usage: 12.3% of adolescent girls(ages 15-19) use the internet versus 18.1% ofadolescent boys (ages 15-19). →Mobile financial transactions: 0.7% ofadolescent girls (ages 15-19) use mobilephones for financial transactions versus 1% ofadolescent boys (ages 15-19). →Smartphoneownership: 36.6%of adolescent girls(ages 15-19) ownsmartphones versus51.1% of adolescentboys (ages 15-19). 2. Understanding Adolescent Girls’Pathways A. Different pathways to empowerment Data reveal how adolescent girls (ages 15-19) in Nigeria follow different pathways to empowerment, aligning withfive key profiles identified in the Pathways to Prosperity Report framework (see Ajayi and Koussoubé, 2024). Grace’s path(In School, Not Working, NotMarried, No Child): This path represents thelargest group in Southern geopolitical zones,especially in South East (62.4%), South West(50.4%) and South South (45.4%). However,this pathway becomes significantly lessprevalent in the Northern zones, particularly inthe North East (22.8%). Chantal’s path(Not in School, Working, NotMarried, No Child): This pathway shows asignificant presence in the South South, NorthCentral, and North East, with around 17.7%of girls, while the lowest rate is observedin the South East (7.4%). This distributionrepresents both challenges and opportunitiesfor supporting girls’ economic participation. Imani’s path(In School, Working, Not Married,No Child): This path is less represented, with arelatively homogeneous presence within zonesranging from 8.2% in the South East to 13% inthe North East zones. Aya’s path(Not in School, Not Working,Married with Children): The most vulnerablepathway is present at very low levels in thesouthern zones, with a peak of only 1.3%of girls in the South South. However, it isprevalent in the North West (11.6%) and NorthEast (7.5%). This highlights areas where earlymarriage and childbearing significantly impactgirls’ development. →Mariam’s path(Not in School, Not Working,Not Married, No Child): This vulnerable pathwayis particularly alarming in the Nor