The Kano State Government passed the Child Protection Law under the previous administration of former Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje.
With the exception of Bauchi, this development brings the total number of states that have enacted this law to 35.
The Kano State Child Protection Law is a significant accomplishment that benefits Kano’s children and residents, according to Rahama R.M. Farah, the head of UNICEF’s field office in Kano. It is important to note that the Children’s Rights Act of 2003 was signed into law in Nigeria after the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Act in 1989.
Every child has the right to survival, development, protection, and participation, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is widely regarded as the human rights treaty with the most ratifications in history. The convention also emphasises the importance of treating kids like people and valued contributors to families and communities.
Unfortunately, the average Nigerian child’s rights situation is still appalling.
Our deep concern for the number of children who are not in school, terrorist victims, children with extremely low nutritional status, and victims of various forms of abuse is supported by empirical data that spans several decades.
For instance, in Nigeria, as of May 2022, there were about 18.5 million children who lacked access to education, with girls making up 60% of the population. Farah claimed that the numerous assaults on schools by gangs of criminals and jihadists in the northern areas have had a significant negative impact on children’s education.
The governors of the states that have not yet enacted the Child Rights Act should be concerned about the alarming increase in this number from 10.5 million in 2021.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) estimates that there are currently 20 million children in the nation who are not attending school. Following the 2014 kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram from the northeastern town of Chibok, numerous schools have been the target of similar mass kidnappings.
According to UNICEF, in 2021, armed men kidnapped roughly 1,500 students.
Unfortunately, the average Nigerian child’s Human Development Index (HDI) is at the very bottom of the socioeconomic and food security ladder. Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), according to UNICEF, affects many pregnant women, including an estimated two million children in Nigeria.
Only two out of every ten children who are affected are currently receiving treatment, though.
Children’s rights violations also include different types of abuse that they experience almost daily. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these kids get the support they require in a timely manner.
In fact, according to UNICEF, one in four girls and 10% of boys experience sexual violence, making it the most common form of violence experienced by children.
Despite these difficulties, the federal government has set up organisations to deal with issues related to child protection, including the National and State Child Rights Implementation Committees and Child Development Departments in the federal and state ministries of women affairs.
It is important to remember that the Child Rights Act creates a legal framework to ensure that children’s rights are protected in every state. State governments must allocate the funds and set up the systems necessary for the law’s successful implementation now that it has been established.
This newspaper believes that if Nigeria’s future leaders are not intentionally raised and developed, the country’s future cannot be bright.
It is not sufficient to simply sign legislation into effect; instead, concerted efforts must be made to address the daily difficulties our children face by creating clear frameworks for implementation.
We implore the new administration to make this crucial move and allocate enough funds to ensure the full enforcement of the law.
Furthermore, we urge the remaining Bauchi state to follow the example of its counterparts and act right away. Likewise, the states that have already enacted the law ought to step up and do their part to safeguard our kids.
As a result, safeguarding children’s rights and welfare is a shared responsibility that calls for coordinated action from the state, localities, and citizens. Child abuse prevention requires enacting and putting into practise child protection laws. To ensure the thorough enforcement of these laws, state governments should prioritise the creation of necessary frameworks, allot sufficient resources, and work with relevant stakeholders. The only way to guarantee a better future for Nigeria is to protect our children.
