As the world celebrates Children’s Day today, we call for sober reflection on the state of children in the country and appeal for a rededication of all Nigerians to their cause. It is time for us to quit the lip-service to children’s issues and begin to make their welfare and development a priority.
Children are all over the world regarded as the future of their countries and great pains are taken to ensure their physical, mental and social well-being. But the attention that we pay to children in the country does not suggest that we subscribe to this global appreciation of the importance of children to sustainable national development. The greatest investment that any nation can make in its future is in its children and Nigeria will do well to embrace this global reality.
A contemporary survey of the care, nurturing and protection that we afford Nigerian children is depressing. It throws up the need for immediate action to remedy the situation by governments, non-governmental institutions, parents and all other well meaning citizens. Child upbringing is a joint responsibility of all citizens, and the current exploitation, abuse and neglect of these young ones is unacceptable.
In almost every part of the country today, rape, physical abuse, selling and abandonment of children have become rife. They are no longer rare as was the case in the past. The health and education of children are no longer priorities at all levels of government, as our political leaders are more interested in what portion of public funds they can appropriate to themselves. Nigeria has about the world’s highest number of out-of-school children, which has been put at about 10 million. In the North-eastern part of the country where Boko Haram is targeting schools, the quest for education at a time became a life-threatening venture. The performance of children in public examinations is worsening in many parts of the country because of the inattention to schools and teachers.
The proper upbringing of children is an important responsibility. Giving them the best care that we can afford, as is done in all serious countries, should not be optional. All children ought to be properly nurtured so that they can achieve their full potentials and the failure of the government and parents to do this should be actionable.
Although the economic situation in the country is grim, parents must go the extra mile to nurture, educate, mentor and guide their children to thrive in our increasingly competitive world where knowledge is king. They should be guided on healthy attitudes to reading, watching television, playing computer games and use of social media. Every provision of the Child Rights Act 2003 should be afforded our children and the states that have refused to domesticate the Act should do so now.
The health of children must be of primary concern. Parents should insist that the necessary immunisations are given while the government must ensure that primary health care centres are provided in all parts of the country and adequately staffed. It is good to build big hospitals, but primary health centres which are closer to the people are also important as they play an important role in prevention of diseases through public health education, as well as provision of medicare for everyday ailments.
We need to get all out-of-school children back into the classrooms because the failure to either give them a good education or skill acquisition will have grave security and socio-economic consequences, as is already playing out in some parts of the country.
The Federal Government should, therefore, lead the states in reactivating compulsory and free primary education so that all the out-of-school children can be re-enrolled in schools. The issue of parents who use school-age children as economic assets should be handled with compassion but with firmness. Such parents ought to be shown that their failure to invest in the future of their children is short-sighted.
Child labour has become prevalent in Nigeria. It should be stopped. No child should be found doing anything outside the school system during school hours. Parents should be mindful of giving their children to relatives as house helps as this often leads to the truncation of their education.
Crimes against children have become all too common. Child rape and pedophiles seem to be growing in numbers and our courts are just too lenient with child molesters. In some advanced countries, including the United States, a convicted child molester is marked for life. Wherever he lives, his neighbours must be warned of his presence so they can keep their children away from him. He is no longer allowed to work in schools and all places where he could have contact with children.
Child marriage is still an issue in Nigeria. We are encouraged that the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, has added his weighty voice to the campaign against child marriage. We should also condemn and eschew female genital mutilation, child trafficking, child prostitution and child factories.
We salute Nigerian children on this important occasion. We also remember the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and call for more efforts to ensure their release.
Above all, we urge all Nigerians to come to the realisation that the future of the country depends on how well we care for our children today.