Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in a new report revealed that Nigeria is in the bottom 10 of global performance on child flourishing.
The report, however, revealed that children in Norway, the Republic of Korea, and the Netherlands have the best chance at survival and well-being, while children in Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Niger and Mali face the worst odds.
The report, “A Future for the World’s Children?” includes a new global index of 180 countries, comparing performance on child flourishing. Nigeria, however, ranked 174 out of 180 countries, below Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and South Sudan
The ranking, according to UNICEF, was based on factors including measures of child survival and well-being such as health, education, nutrition, equity and income gaps.
It said the report finds that the health and future of every child and adolescent worldwide is under immediate threat due to ecological degradation, climate change and exploitative marketing practices that push heavily-processed fast food, sugary drinks, alcohol, and tobacco at children.
According to the report, no single country is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment, and their futures.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Claes Johansson, in his remarks, challenged world leaders and the global community to commit more to the protection of children and their environment.
He said the “outcome of the report is a pointer that much is required in Nigeria to ensure that children enjoy life in a healthy environment where they can thrive. Investing in the future of children, giving them quality education and making sure they are healthy and receive the right nutrition, work to provide a better future for everyone. We all have a responsibility to do everything possible to protect the health and future of every Nigerian child.”
According to the report, while the poorest countries need to do more to support their children’s ability to live healthy lives, excessive carbon emissions disproportionately from wealthier countries threaten the future of all children.
“If global warming exceeds 4°C in coming years in line with current projections, it would lead to devastating health consequences for children, due to rising ocean levels, heatwaves, the proliferation of diseases like malaria and dengue, and malnutrition,” says the report.
UNICEF, thus suggested a new global movement driven by and for children, and also recommended a tightened national regulation of harmful commercial marketing, supported by new optional protocol to the United Nations convention on the rights of the child.