Children in Nigeria will today join their counterparts the world over to mark this year’s Children’s Day. Children’s Day was established by the United Nations (UN) to honour and promote the welfare of the world’s children. The event, which is celebrated annually, offers governments the opportunity to draw attention to issues that affect children.
According to the UN, Children’s Day is a day of the year to commemorate our most valuable resource, our children and ensure that they are given the tools they need not only to survive but also to thrive in the society. Universally, it is celebrated on November 20. How- ever, the event is celebrated on various dates in different countries to promote the welfare of children in the world. It is also marked with speeches on children’s rights and wellbeing as well as other events involving or dedicated to children.
In Nigeria, the government will use the occasion to dwell on matters that affect children and what it is doing to ensure the wellbeing of Nigerian children. State governments will also celebrate the event with speeches and other activities that children are involved.
It is commendable that the First Lady, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, will hold a party for them today as part of activities to mark the second inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ad- ministration. Beyond this, we urge the government to focus more on the welfare of Nigerian children. The future of the country depends on Nigerian children. Therefore, any investment in them is for the good of the country.
While we celebrate Nigerian children on this momentous occasion, at the same time, we lament that the future of many of them will be bleak if the government fails to address some of the pressing issues affecting them across the country. The recent report that Nigeria has about 13.2 million out- of-school children is disturbing.
President Buhari, who is saddened by the situation, has called on the elite to partner with government to solve the problem posed by Almajiris. The worrisome state of the healthcare delivery at primary level shows that diseases that affect children will not be adequately treated. This can explain why children in Nigeria still die from preventable child-killer diseases. It is sad that Nigeria has been described as the worst place to be a mother on account of high rate of maternal and child mortality.
It is also worrisome that over 40,000 Nigerian children are reported to be at risk of dying in the North-east as a result of acute malnutrition and med- ical complications from malaria. We recall that due to the insurgency in the region, over 2 million children are currently in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the country. Despite the domestication of the Child Rights Act by many states in the country, it is untidy that many children still hawk on the highways while some are trafficked. Many of the girls are sexually abused. Government should ensure that the rights of Nigerian children are respected. The children must be seen and heard. The right to health and education of Nigerian children should be ensured. The states that are yet to domestic the Child Right Act should do so forthwith.
The rampaging kidnapping and banditry have adversely affected the wellbeing of children in the affected parts of the country. These are some of the issues affecting Nigerian children that government should holistically address. As Nigerian children celebrate the occasion, we urge parents to adequately train their children and give them the necessary tools to survive and thrive. Teachers should serve as role models to the children and nurture them to be good and patriotic citizens. The school feeding progamme of the government should be improved and extended to all states of the federation. We call on all tiers of government to use the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day celebration to reflect on the lives of Nigerian children and initiate programmes that will enhance their wellbeing.
Government must ensure that every Nigerian child has basic education. Without doubt, education remains the best gift the government can give to Nigerian children. We wish Nigerian children and others a happy celebration.