The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has said the future seemed unsure when she got married at an early age to her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari.
The couple got married in 1989 when Aisha Buhari was 18 years old.
In a book launched yesterday titled ‘Aisha Buhari: Being Different’, the First Lady, however, said the marriage placed on her on the path of greatness.
According to the book authored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs, Daji Sani, the First Lady said her husband is the kind of man any woman would want to associate herself with.
According to a quote by Daily Trust, “In many villages in northern Nigeria, educating a girl is not considered a priority. In fact, early marriage affects every eighth girl.
According to UNICEF, one in seven girls is reported to give birth by age seventeen The easiest justification for this practice is that it serves as a strategy for reducing the burden on the family.
“It is also viewed as a way of protecting the sanctity of the girl-child. Another report shows that child marriage occurs more frequently among girls who are the least educated and poorest, and who are living in rural areas.
The above scenario was the kind of social-cultural background that Aisha was born into and raised. Married at an early age, for her, the future seemed unsure.
“But the hope in her mind is massive. Interestingly, fate shone on her with the splendor of an enlightened gentleman. She married the kind of man any woman would want to associate herself with, a highly placed and responsible man.
Even though this automatically placed her on the path of greatness, her family values have been the key influence in her life to this day.
“In 1989, the young lady, Aisha Halilu, got married to Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Major General and former military Head of State of Nigeria. Marriage as an institution moves at an undulating pace, full of uncertainties.
The ability to surmount the challenges and move on to an unknown destination is crucial in marriage. Aisha, like any other girl-child married as a teenager, faced the challenges of adapting to womanhood.”
