Factors Contributing to Early Child Marriage in Gombe Central Area, Gombe State, Nigeria

Child marriage remains a major issue in Nigeria, especially in Gombe State, fuelled by cultural, religious, and economic factors. Despite legal bans, the practice continues, harming girls' health, education, and development. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to early child marriage in Gombe Central Area, Gombe State. The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design through structured questionnaires. Multistage sampling was used to determine the sampling technique. The data were entered into SPSS version 29, and descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to determine the relationships between cultural and religious factors, sociodemographic variables and socioeconomic factors. Among the 290 respondents, the majority (75%) were between the ages of 25 and 29 years, with a mean age of +5.82 years. As many as 86.7% of the respondents were Muslims. The study revealed a statistically significant association between religious beliefs and early child marriage (p=0.16). Logistic regression revealed that respondents were 28 times more likely to support the claim that girls marry older men for financial reasons, and 10 times more likely to agree that low education is linked to early marriage. Cultural, religious, and socioeconomic factors are the primary drivers of early child marriage in this area. The study recommends community-based interventions, dialogue with religious leaders, increased educational opportunities, the enforcement of laws, and economic empowerment programs as vital approaches for reducing the prevalence of early marriage and promoting girls’ rights.