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New report says better education, healthcare, digital access and legal protection for adolescent girls could transform Nigeria’s economy and reduce poverty….
Nigeria could unlock more than $400bn in additional income over the next 15 years if the country aggressively invests in adolescent girls through education, healthcare, economic inclusion, and stronger legal protections, according to a new report released by the World Bank.
The report, titled Pathways to Prosperity for Adolescent Girls in Nigeria, said targeted investments in young girls between now and 2040 could deliver massive economic returns while tackling poverty, inequality, and social vulnerability across the country.
According to the World Bank, achieving this would require an estimated investment of about $37bn, a figure the institution says is small compared to the long-term economic benefits Nigeria stands to gain.
The report noted that despite persistent insecurity, poverty, and regional disparities, Nigeria still possesses enormous untapped economic potential, particularly among its growing youth population. However, it warned that millions of adolescent girls remain trapped by limited access to education, poor healthcare, early marriage, and weak economic opportunities.
The World Bank also projected that similar investments in adolescent girls across Africa could generate more than $2.4tn in additional income continent-wide.
One of the major concerns raised in the report is the deep divide between northern and southern Nigeria. According to the findings, girls in the North East and North West continue to face some of the country’s worst outcomes due to insecurity, insurgency, poverty, and structural disadvantages.
The report revealed that only 45.7 per cent of Nigerian girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are currently in school, below the African average of 51.5 per cent. Meanwhile, 30.6 per cent are economically active, slightly above the continental average.
Although about 80.8 per cent of girls within that age bracket are unmarried and without children, the World Bank warned that child marriage and teenage pregnancy remain alarmingly common in poor and rural communities.
The report further highlighted legal and institutional gaps affecting women and girls in Nigeria. It stated that Nigeria scored 51.1 out of 100 on the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 legal framework index, falling below the Sub-Saharan African average of 59.6.
Digital inequality also emerged as a major challenge. According to the report, only 12.3 per cent of adolescent girls in Nigeria use the internet, compared to 18.1 per cent of boys. Smartphone ownership among girls was also significantly lower at 36.6 per cent, compared to 51.1 per cent among boys.
Regional disparities were another major focus of the report. The World Bank said the “Grace pathway” used to describe girls who are in school, not working, unmarried, and without children was strongest in southern Nigeria.
The South East recorded the highest rate at 62.4 per cent, followed by the South West at 50.4 per cent and the South South at 45.4 per cent. In contrast, the figure dropped sharply to 22.8 per cent in the North East.
On the other hand, vulnerability levels among girls who are out of school, unemployed, married, or already have children were significantly higher in northern regions. The North West recorded the highest vulnerability rate at 55.1 per cent, followed by the North East at 46.4 per cent and North Central at 42.2 per cent.
The report also exposed sharp inequalities between rural and urban communities. While 59.2 per cent of urban girls are currently in school, only 32.4 per cent of rural girls have access to education.
Similarly, girls in rural areas were found to be far more likely to be married or have children early, with the rate standing at 30.9 per cent compared to just 6.9 per cent in urban centres.
Household income was also identified as a major factor shaping opportunities for girls. According to the findings, only 15.9 per cent of girls from the poorest households are enrolled in school, compared to 62.2 per cent among girls from wealthier families.
The report stated that 38.6 per cent of girls from poor households are either married or have children, compared to just 3.6 per cent among girls from the wealthiest homes.
To reverse the trend, the World Bank recommended targeted investments in education and healthcare, especially in northern and rural communities. It also called for improved access to reproductive health education, reduced schooling costs, expansion of digital financial services, and stronger legal protections for women and girls.
The institution noted that many of these interventions are already being supported through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment programme, a $1.2bn project covering 18 northern states and selected states in the South West, South East, and South South.
The report added that evidence from Nigeria and other African countries shows that programmes such as scholarships, conditional cash transfers, vocational training, girls’ clubs, and digital health solutions have helped increase school enrollment, delay child marriage, and improve economic participation among girls.
The World Bank concluded that Nigeria must adopt coordinated, region-specific policies that address insecurity, poverty, and inequality while creating more opportunities for adolescent girls, describing it as critical to the country’s long-term economic growth and development.
