THE RIGHTS OF NIGERIAN CHILDREN

 All stakeholders must work harder to secure a better future for the children

The 2024 World Children’s Day comes at a period when children in Nigeria are facing challenges on practically all fronts. “Children’s rights are human rights. But in too many places today, children’s rights are under attack,” said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which advocates making space for children and young people to raise their voices on the issues that matter to them. By prioritising children’s rights and participation, we can help to build a better future for all. For instance, UNICEF has been strident that non-state armed groups are using children in our country as combatants and non-combatants, while committing other grave violations against them.

The surge of child soldiers in a country with almost half its population living below the poverty line is predictable. Education, for instance, which ought to have productively engaged these children, has suffered greatly because of the predatory activities of terrorists. Since we agree with the UN agency that this situation is “unacceptable and unconscionable”, authorities in Nigeria must prioritise child protection and welfare policies through incentivised and compulsory basic education. As a matter of urgency, children must be removed from conflict zones while there should be sustained campaigns to sensitise the public on this growing malaise.    

Conscripting children into armed groups is not only a gross abuse of their innocence, but also a systematic destruction of the present and future of the country. Already, armed conflict situations have created children who are separated from their families, unprotected, starved, and exposed to violence as their only means of survival. Besides the mental and physical torture, exposing children to armed conflict increases their risk of morbidity and mortality. To worsen matters, hundreds of thousands of children are dying every day because of indirect effects of conflict – including malnutrition, disease, inadequate healthcare, and poor sanitation.   

On a day such as this, we must also pay attention to the latest survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on child labour in the country. Four out of every 10 children in Nigeria, according to the NBS, are trapped in child labour. The report, ‘Nigeria Child Labour Survey 2022,’ done in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) established that Nigerian children aged five to 14 years accounted for 39.7 per cent of the incidents, while those aged between 15 and 17 years accounted for 37.3 per cent of minors in forced labour. Child labour is more among boys, and predominant in the agriculture sector followed by services and industry. Besides, the prevalence of child labour is higher in rural areas, with the Southeast and Northeast regions recording the highest incidents. 

Unfortunately, most of the children engaged in child labour are deprived, and from poor homes. More than 20 million children are out of school, just as many are stunted and underweight because of poor nutrition. They are forced into the farms or streets to eke out a living. In a recent survey by UNICEF, six out of every 10 Nigerian children suffer some forms of physical, emotional, or sexual violence before attaining the age of 18.

Even though the Child Rights’ Act has been domesticated in almost all the states, its provisions are hardly enforced. Child marriage, child trafficking, child labour and rape of underage boys and girls are on the increase in many parts of the country. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in its blueprint for 2030 provides a universal plan to secure a better future for children. The 16th goal is dedicated to peace, justice, and strong institutions. To fulfil that mandate, authorities in Nigeria and all relevant stakeholders must pay attention to issues that threaten the future of our children.