As the nation commemorates the Day of the African Child, stakeholders have called on governments and policymakers to prioritise children’s rights and invest in their development.

Specifically, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) enjoined government at all levels to enhance their budgetary commitments and ensure effective utilisation of resources towards the development of children.

According to UNICEF, every child, not only in Nigeria but globally, deserves to survive, thrive, and grow into a responsible adult. The Chief of UNICEF Field Office for south west, Celine Lafoucriere, made the call at a media dialogue commemorating this year’s Day of the African Child.

The event was themed: ‘Planning and spending for children’s rights: Progress since 2010.’ Lafoucriere emphasised that the theme reflects the African Union’s agenda to assess government efforts in promoting and protecting child rights through inclusive policies and equitable budgets.

She noted that despite the increasing budget commitments by governments in the region towards child-focused issues, the actual spending on such issues remains grossly inadequate, poorly monitored, and inefficiently utilised.

She urged journalists to collaborate with the agency by amplifying child-focused issues, investigating budget implementation, and drawing attention to areas of under-investment.

She said: “The media has a lot to do with children’s rights and improving their health, education, nutrition, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and protection through consistent, factual, and accurate news and investigative reporting,” Lafoucriere stated.

“You are not bystanders but critical stakeholders. You shape public thinking. You hold policymakers accountable. And together, we can follow the money, tell the children’s stories, and drive real action for the betterment of our collective future.”

The Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Lagos Office, Mr. Muhammad Okorie, also stressed the need for government to invest responsibly in children, reminding that they are the future of the country.

Okorie harped on holistic, rights-based framework in child development, noting that the journey of investment in children must begin from the pre-natal stage and continue through to adulthood.

He said: “The highest economic returns on human capital come from investing in children during their earliest years, especially their first 1000 days, which could be termed the pre-school period.

“This window presents a critical opportunity for government and decision-makers to prioritise early interventions in such services as healthcare, education, nutrition, safety, water, and sanitation,” Okorie added.

The Director of Budget, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Orojimi Abiodun, explained that the state government prioritises children’s issues as part of its THEMES Agenda.

According to him, the state government increasingly channels a substantial part of its budget towards social services that address children’s concerns, including education, healthcare, nutrition, immunisation, sports, and other services.

“The state government strongly believes that it is only when children are well-taken care of today that they can grow to become responsible adults and be beneficial to themselves and society,” Abiodun stated.