By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The daughter of the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigiedier Genera...
The daughter of the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigiedier General. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retired), has launched a handwritten book advocating an end to early marriage and its devastating impact on girls in Nigeria.
Barrister Mariam Marwa Abdu unveiled “In the Shadow of the Neem Tree” at a ceremony held at the Gusau Institute in Kaduna. The event drew academics, legal practitioners, civil society groups, and traditional stakeholders.
The book documents the lived experiences of women and girls affected by early marriage, with a focus on Nigerian Muslim family laws, cultural practices, and the legal gaps that perpetuate the practice.
Chief Launcher at the event, Alhaji Abdullahi Saifullahi Babangida, Chairman of Delicious Group International, announced a donation of N20 million to support the promotion and distribution of the book.
He described the publication as a bold intervention. “It is a great achievement to have a young woman produce a work that promotes free education for children and upholds religious and cultural values,” Babangida said. “Educating people on this issue will help build a better society and correct negative impressions within our communities.”
Reviewing the book, Dr. Willy Mamah, Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF, said the handwritten manuscript has “practical relevance” and should be translated and taken to grassroots communities in partnership with stakeholders.
Dr. Mamah noted that the research challenges patriarchal structures and interrogates traditional interpretations of Islamic texts.
“The documented stories reflect the realities of Muslim women across diverse contexts,” he said. “The book provides essential updates and contextual analysis for the campaign for justice in Muslim family laws, with particular focus on practices in Nigeria.
“The stories contained here will bring depth and local expertise to international advocacy platforms,” he added, noting that the author also contributes to the broader documentation of women’s lives in Muslim contexts.
Speaking on her motivation, Barrister Marwa Abdu said the book was inspired by two decades of work defending the rights of women and children, especially the girl child.
“What moved me to write is 20 years of working to protect the rights of women and children,” she said. “Stories give us room to breathe. They invite us to sit with difficult questions and truly feel what others go through.”
She explained the symbolism behind the title. “The Neem tree stands in many of our compounds. It doesn’t call attention to itself. Its taste is bitter, yet it offers cool, steady shade. It endures through the dry season. At one point or another, we all come to a moment when we need that kind of shade — from the harshness of life, from uncertainty, and from burdens we are not yet ready to carry.”
Stakeholders at the launch urged government agencies, religious leaders, and community groups to use the book as an advocacy tool to drive policy reform and public enlightenment against child marriage.
They stressed that ending the practice requires a combination of legal enforcement, education, and cultural reorientation, particularly in communities where it remains prevalent.
In the Shadow of the Neem Tree will be distributed to schools, legal aid organizations, and child protection agencies across the country as part of efforts to amplify the campaign.
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