Early Childbearing in Nigeria: A Continuing Challenge

Nigeria has endured two decades of economic stagnation. Despite the country’s rich natural and human resources, its per capita gross domestic product of $860 (in 2004) is one of the lowest in the world.3 In addition, Nigeria has experienced the deterioration of its democratic institutions, long periods of ethnic and civil war, and a series of military coups. In fact, military rule ended only in 1999, when a democratically elected president took office. However, major social, economic and political problems continue to challenge the country. The extent of the public’s exposure to the mass media is often regarded as an important indicator of a country’s degree of modernization. In 2003, about 66% of Nigerian women aged 15–19 had weekly access to at least one of the three main types of media—newspapers, radio or television—and about 10% had access to all three types. However, 34% did not have any media exposure in the average week.4