Stakeholders call for education of indigent, vulnerable children

School children

FILE PHOTO: School children

FILE PHOTO: School children

Stakeholders have called on the government at all levels to ensure the inclusive education of indigent, girl child and vulnerable children in the country.

They made in call in Abuja on Thursday at a Public Discourse in commemoration of the Day of the African Child.

The event has its theme as “Leave No Child Behind in Africa’s Development”.

Dr Hussaini Abdul, Country Director, PLAN International, said children must not be denied the right to quality education and a life skill to a fulfilled life.

Abdul, who was represented by Mr Oji Ogbureke, Head, Programme and Business Development, PLAN International, said the organisation strive towards ensuring access to quality education for the girl child which must be the priority of the government.

According to him, a lot still need to be done to ensure Nigeria child learn, lead, decide and thrive.

“Children must have access to quality education, provided life skill to live a fulfilled life, participate and be drivers of change.

“They must live in a protective environment to achieve their potential,” he said.

Mr Kolawole Olatosimi, Senior Programme Officer, Child and Youth Protection Foundation, called on the Federal Government to put more efforts into ensuring that children were brought out from IDPs camps into homes.

Olatosimi said Nigerian children should be given a voice to achieve their potential in life as well as taken stand in contributing to the development of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Also, Mrs Patience Ekeoba, National Programme Officer, UN Women, stressed the need for stakeholders commitment in ensuring that Nigerian girls go to school rather than been given out as bride.

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Ekeoba advocated for the care of children in extreme endangered environment for the country to become a better place.

She noted that stakeholders must join hands to take decisions that would favour Nigerian children for the development of the country.

Mr Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the National Child Protection and Enforcement Agency (Establishment) bill, which had been passed by the National Assembly.

Ojukwu called on states government who were yet to adopt the child right act to do so.

“The role of education in ensuring that all children are given equal opportunities and ensure they grow up to reach their full potential and contribute to the development of their nations and continent cannot be overemphasised.

“However, for Nigeria with the largest population of children in Africa, there is need to take indigent children along in the education sector.”

He, therefore, called for adequate budgetary allocation to all relevant sectors including education, health, food and shelter of the children.

Miss Teresa Ojeka, from St. Aloysius Primary School, Abuja, called on the Federal and State Governments to give priority attention to the children as it concerns their education, shelter and health.

Ojeka called for the need to mainstream the rights of children at all levels of budgeting, policy formulation, planning and implementation.

The Day of the African Child (DAC) is celebrated annually on June 16 in memory of children massacred in 1976 in Soweto, South Africa as they protested discriminatory practices within the education system.

The day has been celebrated by members of African Union since 1991 for national discourse and appraisal on the progress of child right implementation.

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