Child welfare advocate Adams Meshach Dankaka has called for stronger, coordinated systems to address child protection challenges in Nigeria, warning that delayed intervention often allows preventable cases to escalate.

Dankaka, a legal practitioner and founder of The Young Foundation, spoke on the realities of working with vulnerable children across multiple states, including Enugu, Lagos, Bauchi, Kano and Abuja.

She said her work combines legal advocacy with direct humanitarian support, responding to cases of neglect, abuse, abandonment and economic hardship.

“In many situations, the need is immediate,” she said. “It may involve enrolling a child back in school, supporting a medical emergency or intervening legally to ensure a safer environment.”

Her day-to-day work, she explained, ranges from school-based outreach to healthcare assistance and mentorship programmes. The foundation also provides food support and educational materials, particularly for children at risk of dropping out of school.

Dankaka noted that legal intervention forms a key part of the foundation’s activities, especially in cases involving custody disputes, child support and abuse. However, she stressed that legal outcomes alone are often insufficient without follow-up welfare support.

“We try to combine both approaches because protecting a child does not end with a court decision,” she said.

She identified limited resources and low public awareness as persistent challenges. According to her, many communities still struggle to recognise the boundaries between discipline and abuse, making sensitisation efforts a critical part of the work.

Across the different states where the foundation operates, Dankaka said similar patterns continue to emerge, including poverty, family instability and gaps in social support systems.

“These issues may appear differently depending on the location, but the underlying problems are largely the same,” she said.

Recent concerns around missing and abducted children have also influenced the organisation’s approach. While the foundation has supported advocacy and recovery efforts in some cases, Dankaka said prevention remains central.

“Stronger community awareness and early intervention can reduce many of these risks before they escalate,” she said.

Beyond crisis response, the foundation focuses on long-term stability for children. This includes mentorship programmes aimed at supporting emotional development and life skills, alongside efforts to reintegrate out-of-school children.

Dankaka said her motivation is driven by the visible impact of small interventions, citing examples such as children returning to school or receiving urgent medical care.

Looking ahead, she called for a more integrated approach to child protection, involving collaboration between legal institutions, schools, healthcare systems and social services.

“Child protection should not be reactive,” she said. “We need systems that act early and consistently to prevent harm before it happens.”

She also emphasised the importance of early childhood development, particularly in addressing mental and emotional health challenges that often emerge later in life.