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Last Sunday, May 27, Nigerian children celebrated
Children’s Day with the theme: “Let’s build a culture of peace and
security for the Nigerian child.” Children’s Day is celebrated every
year in accordance with the United Nations recommendation that all
countries should
set aside a day to celebrate children and draw
attention to their plight.
The celebrations are usually marked with funfair and
pomp where government functionaries read long speeches. There must
really be nothing wrong in celebrating our children because of what they
represent. The great American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy,
described “children as the world’s most valuable resource and its best
hope for the future.”
Globally, the ancient adage that children are the
leaders of tomorrow has formed the bedrock on which the philosophy that
not only a proper development and protection of children is necessary,
but that all framework for harnessing the creative potential towards
national integration and development must be ensured.
In most climes, children are regarded as precious
gifts from God; their arrival in the world is usually celebrated with
joy. It is rather curious and unfortunate the level of abuses, neglects
and deprivations these same children are subjected to. Since childhood
is universally recognised as a sensitive period requiring special care,
attention, protection and provision, it is disheartening to see our
children go through harrowing experiences. Apart from the privileged
few, how many of our children really knew and felt it was Children’s
Day?
UNICEF reports that nearly half the population of the
world’s 49 least developed countries is under the age of 18. In that
sense, these countries are the richest in children, but they are the
poorest in terms of child survival and development. They have the
highest rates of child mortality and out-of-school children and the
lowest rates of access to basic health care, maternity services, safe
drinking water and basic sanitation.
The recent report by the Global Campaign for
Education states that Nigeria has more children out of school than any
other country in the world. The report claims that an astounding 8.2
million children are not provided with adequate education in Africa’s
most populous country, comparing the nation’s wealth with the apparent
low standard of education. Did these over eight million kids know it was
Children’s Day?
It is sad that ours remains one of the countries that
are not making substantial progress in the Millennium Development
Goals. According to the Executive Director, UNICEF, “It is increasingly
evident that our progress is uneven in many key areas. In fact,
compelling data suggest that in the global push to achieve the MDGs, we
are leaving behind millions of the world’s most disadvantaged,
vulnerable and marginalised children: the children who are facing the
longest odds.”
Nigeria has made insufficient progress of between 0.6
per cent and 2.5 per cent in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
These hungry children, did they know it was Children’s Day?
In terms of security and safety, these are really not
the best of times for our dear country. The general feeling of
insecurity among the populace is at its lowest ebb and the fear of
bombs, armed robbers and kidnappers is rife, as nobody knows when and
where the next catastrophe will occur. Many of our children that were
maimed, killed or orphaned in this orgy of violence never knew it was
Children’s Day!
Before we can, therefore, celebrate our children in
all sincerity, we must begin to give adequate attention to issues
affecting their survival and development. Despite the promulgation of
the Child Rights Act in the country for about 10 years now, we are yet
to see a considerable reduction in the rate at which Nigerian children
are subjected to serious physical, sexual or emotional ill-treatment or
neglect, most especially by those who should, ordinarily, be responsible
for their welfare.
The Child’s Right Law with regard to the right to
life, education, survival, protection against abuse and exploitation,
amongst others, is not meant to be just a statue book but rather to be
placed in public domain for all stakeholders and the general public to
uphold. The laws must stop being a toothless bulldog if we intend to
build a virile nation and not lag behind in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals. We can take a cue from the developed world where
issues relating to children are viewed with all seriousness.
Our children are simply our future! Their survival
and development must be paramount in our hearts. This we can start by
ensuring free, qualitative education at all levels, access to
qualitative health care delivery, among others. If, indeed, our children
represent our future, the time to invest in that future is now.
Author-Ogunmosunle is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.
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