Girl Child Day: Reps to Amend Child’s Rights Act to Protect Sexually Abused Children

•As UNICEF partners Nigerian varsities on child rights campaign

Juliet Akoje in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The House of Representatives has resolved to ensure amendment of the Child’s Right Act to provide protection for sexually abused children and provide the necessary legislative support in terms of budgetary approvals to the concerned ministries.

The federal lawmakers also committed to ensuring domestication of the child right act throughout the nation through the conference of speakers.

In another related development, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has strengthened its campaign for child’s rights, through collaboration with universities across Nigeria.

This is as the international agency, yesterday, led a multi zonal dialogue on “Mainstreaming the UNICEF’s Child Rights Reporting Curriculum in Nigerian Universities,” held at the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State.

Meanwhile, the national lawmakers also urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and National Orientation Agency, NOA, alongside other stakeholders to collaborate with schools, community organisations, and religious institutions to educate the public on drug abuse dangers and promote a drug-free lifestyle and to make provision for rehabilitation.

Consequently, the House also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to devise practical ways such as implementing mobile education units or community outreach programs to curb out-of-school girls across the 36 states of the federation.

It further urged the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure the swift passage of bills that seek to protect women and the girls like the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB).

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Kafilat Ogbara in commemoration of the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child at plenary on Thursday.

Presenting the motion, Ogbara noted that on 11th of October globally, the world celebrates International Day of the Girl Child, adding that this year’s theme is “girls’ vision for the future”.

She noted that International Day of the Girl Child is a day adopted by the United Nations to remind young girls of their uniqueness, strength and prowess.

Her words: “It is a day set aside to address issues such as: early or child marriage, violence against girls, rape, child molestation, education deprivation, nutrition, legal rights and all other issues faced by girls and to support more opportunities for girls and increase awareness for gender inequality.”

The lawmaker recalled: “More than 1.1 billion girls are poised to take on the future; everyday girls are breaking boundaries and barriers; tackling issues posed by stereotypes and exclusion, including those directed at children with disabilities and those living in marginalized communities.

“The protection of the girl child is crucial for sustaining the continuity of mankind as they grow in to women and mothers who not only shape the future generation but the trajectory of nations.

“Gender discrimination is a global phenomenon that has engulfed many nations of the world due to patriarchy and cultural stereotypes, while other nations have made giant strides in closing the gender gap, Nigeria is still grappling with these issues, starting from access to education, healthcare and access to basic amenities.”

She further stressed that: “Despite Nigeria being signatory to the Convention of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Conventions on Child’s, Rights and many others, harmful practices like the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still being practised in some parts of the country which is a direct violation of human rights of women and girls.

“Recent analysis shows that girls are not only courageous in the face of crisis, but hopeful for the future. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) children growing into adolescents especially between the ages of 10 to 19 have limited knowledge about the natural processes of puberty, sexual health, pregnancy or reproduction.

“This period of their lives is a period of rapid development of knowledge and skills, learning to manage emotions, relationships, acquire attributes and abilities that will be necessary for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles.

“When they are sexually abused at this sensitive season of their lives, it affects their growth and development and their overall well-being, leading them to becoming dysfunctional adults in some instances, due to psychological and mental trauma.”

Furthermore, she expressed concern about the dishearteningly high number of out-of-school girls engaged in drug abuse.

Current data indicates that Nigeria has an estimated 10.5 million out-of- school children who are also users of hard drugs.

The presence of such a vast number of uneducated youths not only jeopardises their future but also poses a threat to the nation’s security and socio-economic stability.

She observed: “If deliberate efforts are not taken to address the challenges and be intentional to protect the girl child, the country would be at risk of raising dysfunctional mothers who are meant to be protectors of the home, society and the future.”

However, the House further mandated its Committees on Women Affairs and Social Development, Basic Education, and Services to engage the NDLEA, Federal Ministry of Education, NOA, and other stakeholders by organizing workshops, creating awareness campaigns, and monitoring progress to ensure compliance.

Participants at the zonal dialogue on “Mainstreaming the UNICEF’s Child Rights Reporting Curriculum in Nigerian Universities,” were deans and senior lecturers from University of Port Harcourt, Niger Delta University, Cross River State University, Federal University Otueke, Bayelsa; University of Uyo, Rivers State University, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, University of Africa and Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori.

In her presentation, the UNICEF’s Communication Officer, Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, emphasised the need for a sustainable and systemic approach to child rights reporting.

She said the sensitisation will lead the participants be committed in ensuring the inclusive of the report in their school curriculum.

Dr. Onuoha-Ogwe said the initiative aimed to integrate child rights reporting into journalism education, ensuring that future journalists are equipped to effectively report on child-related issues.

She explained that the objective of the meeting was to enhance journalism education to include child rights reporting, train lecturers to teach child rights reporting and increase the number of students trained to effectively report child rights.

According to the UNICEF’s communication Officer, the curriculum’s development was timely, following the unbundling of the Mass Communication department by the National Universities Commission (NUC) few years ago.

She noted that UNICEF’s efforts come amid concerns over child rights violations in Nigeria, including street hawking, child abandonment, and cultural practices that harm children.

Onuoha-Ogwe who disclosed that about 50 universities across the country are presently mainstreaming child’s rights reporting, stated: “The Child Rights Reporting Curriculum is borne out of the need to promote the reportage for child rights everywhere in Nigeria.

“So, we needed a more sustainable and systemic approach which will have to guide academic system where we have a large number of students of journalism coming out trained to effectively report child rights everywhere.

“We want to see more universities mainstreaming Child’s rights Curriculum in Nigeria following the unbundling of the mass communication department by NUC a few years ago in Nigeria”.

She added: “In this training we have more lecturers in more universities skilled and able to teach child rights reporting and by that we are getting more students of journalism getting trained to effectively report child’s rights even when they are done with schooling.”

Earlier in his opening speech, Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Uniport, Prof. Walter Ihejirika, emphasised the urgent need to sensitise Nigerians on child rights, noting the university has always led in the promoting child rights awareness in Nigeria.

Ihejirika who was represented by Prof. Innocent Uwah, described the initiative as “historic” and a significant step towards promoting child rights in Nigeria”.

He said: “Defending the lives of children is the pride every adult citizen of the world ought to embrace”, stressing the importance of safeguarding children’s fundamental rights.

According to him, the curriculum aims to integrate child rights reporting into journalism education, equipping students with the skills to effectively report on child-related issues.

He explained that UNIPORT plans to integrate child rights into media-related courses, utilisng various platforms to promote awareness.

Prof. Ihejirika however described UNICEF as “outstanding in saving the future of every child. It is an agency that advocates the safety, education and welfare of children as fundamental rights they cannot be denied them in any circumstances of life”.

According to him, the programme “Is a daunting task because in different settings, especially in Nigeria there are instances of street hawking children being left to dangers, some are even abandoned by their parents because of lack of resources to take care of them while some others are victims of traditional judgement, being castigated as outcasts premised on cultural practices”.