By Edoamaowo Udeme
As the world marks its International World Children’s Day today, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has called on world Leaders to pay attention to the children’s rights, survival and development.
This call came with a global request asking individual to sign a global online petition asking for ‘children to be put back on the agenda.’
According to Mohamed Fall, UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, “We want to build a world where every child is in school, safe from harm and can fulfil their potential – and nowhere is this more true than in Nigeria,”
“Nigeria is ranked the second highest in the world as an estimated 16.5 million children are stunted while 2.6 million are severely acutely malnourished and also has the world’s highest number of out-of-school children, and one of its highest rates of maternal, child and infant mortality”.
” More than four million children are unimmunized and tens of millions of Nigerians still do not have access to clean water and proper sanitation, putting children’s health at risk”. Fall noted
A severly acutely malnourished child in Akwa Ibom. Photo Credit; Edoamaowo Udeme
“Diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria – combined with underlying malnutrition – are responsible for most of the deaths among infants and children in Nigeria”. said Fall
Nigerian children experience a wide range of abuses and harmful practices. An estimated 3 in 5 children have suffered one or more forms of violence before reaching 18, with over 70 per cent experiencing multiple incidents of violence.
“No matter where a child is born – whether into wealth or poverty – they and their parents have the same hopes and dreams for their future. And we owe it to all children to give them a fair chance to survive and fulfil those dreams,” Mohamed Fall stressed
“A lot has been achieved – but there is still much to do to ensure that Nigerian children benefit from advances in child rights. At the moment, too many children are being left behind, and we need to reach them.”
“In partnership with the Nigerian Government, we are determined to ensure that stronger investment will yield progress for all children in education, health – including ensuring routine immunization for all, nutrition and child protection.”
“This World Children’s Day, we must recommit to children – knowing that for Nigeria to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, we must invest in long-lasting institutional and community-based systems and policies for children’s survival, growth and development,” said Mohamed Fall.
“Nigerian children have a huge role to play in the country’s national development. It is the generation of children growing up today who will take their place as Nigeria’s leaders tomorrow – and who will be able to take further – to really accelerate – the progress we make now.”
