The Federal Government and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), have said that Nigeria has made progress in the field of child protection due to the domestication and application of the Child Rights Act (CRA).
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, made this statement during a symposium and interactive session with students from different schools.
The event, in commemoration of the Universal Day of the Child, took place at the Government Science Technical School, Area 3, Abuja.
Kennedy-Ohanenye stated that the government had persisted in placing a high priority on the rights of children throughout the nation by guaranteeing their access to necessities, their education, and their safety from abuse and violence.
She maintained that Nigeria must keep safeguarding and ensuring the protection of children.
“Children should learn today that this is a new Nigeria with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda. This means that your rights can never be tampered with anymore,” she said.
Chikodi Onyemerela, UNICEF’s Director of Programmes, Nigeria, said Children’s rights to quality medical services, education, developmental rights, rights to protection, education, and rights to protection from emotional abuse, among others, must never be compromised.
“Every right of the child is very important for Nigeria to produce children that will represent the country tomorrow and grow into responsible adults.
“So our key message for Nigeria is that it’s time for us to recognize the place of children in governance in terms of the resources of this country,” the official stated.
