It took Nigeria sixty-five years of independence to officially declare that anyone who sexually abuses a child should spend life in prison. Sixty-five years. It’s quite sad, really. A country that has survived coups, recessions, and fuel scarcity finally decided in 2025 that protecting its children is non-negotiable. On October 21, the Senate passed a bill amending the Criminal Code, Penal Code, and Child Rights Act to make the punishment for child sexual abuse uniform nationwide: life imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole presented it, Senator Adamu Aliero pushed it further, and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, called it “a victory for Nigeria’s children.” And it is, but it is also a little embarrassing that it took us this long to get here.
A Long Time Coming
For years, Nigeria’s legal system treated child defilement like a moral misdemeanour rather than a violent crime. Sentences varied by region, and some offenders walked free after paying fines or convincing families to “settle” out of court. The new law finally closes that loophole by mandating life imprisonment for anyone convicted of sexually abusing someone under 18.
It is a historic decision, no doubt. But if we are going to celebrate, we should also ask the question that everyone is whispering: will this same law apply to people who marry children?
The Elephant in the Room: Child Marriage
The numbers tell their own story. UNICEF estimates that Nigeria has over 23 million child brides, the highest in Africa. In many northern states, girls as young as 13 are married off, sometimes to men old enough to be their grandfathers. And because those states have not domesticated the Child Rights Act, they operate under customary and religious laws that allow marriage once a girl is deemed “mature.”
Here’s the paradox: under federal law, sexual activity with anyone under 18 is abuse. But under local law, marriage can make that same act legal. The same country that will jail a man for sleeping with a 16-year-old girlfriend will also protect a man who marries a 14-year-old wife.
So what exactly is the difference between a child bride and a child victim?
Justice or Jargon?
The new law is clear and strong on paper, but law alone does not change mindsets. For many communities, culture and religion still shape what counts as right or wrong, and they often outrank national policy. The Senate may have shouted “Aye” for justice, but unless state assemblies align with the Child Rights Act, these contradictions will continue to exist.
In other words, the same Nigeria that just introduced life imprisonment for abusers still cannot decide if a 15-year-old is a child or a wife. And until that confusion ends, predators will continue to hide behind custom while victims remain invisible.
The Hope Beneath the Law
Still, there is something powerful about this moment. This is the first time in a long while that the federal government has made child protection a matter of national identity. By aligning the Criminal and Penal Codes, the Senate has finally given child rights advocates a legal weapon strong enough to challenge cultural silence.
If fully enforced, this law could push states that have avoided the Child Rights Act to face the reality they have long ignored. It could also empower activists, social workers, and communities to report offenders without fear that “tradition” will save them.
Because the truth is, laws can’t protect children if society refuses to.
What Needs to Happen Next
The next step is not more applause. It is harmonization. Nigeria needs one legal definition of childhood, not one for the West and another for the North. The presidency must ensure that this law applies equally across all states, regardless of cultural differences.
Beyond legislation, there must be investment in survivor support services, faster trials, and education campaigns that teach families what consent and childhood actually mean. Religious leaders, traditional rulers, and parents all have roles to play. This is not just a government problem but a societal one.
A Country at a Crossroads
This new law is a powerful statement, but it also exposes a national contradiction we can no longer ignore. You cannot jail one man for touching a child and bless another for marrying one. Either Nigeria protects its children, or it doesn’t. There is no middle ground.
Sixty-five years later, the law has finally found its voice. And the question now is whether the country will listen.
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