Children parliament calls for full implementation of Child Rights Act

The seventh assembly of the National Children’s Parliament has advocated for the full implementation of the Child Rights Act to tackle some of the vices affecting children in the country.

The Speaker of the Children’s Parliament, RT Hon Progress Friday-Imoh, while speaking at the weekend in Abuja during the sitting of the parliament organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Save the Children International (SCI), stressed that the full implementation of the Act will tackle challenges such as child marriage, child labour, and kidnappings, among others.

She stated that some of their key resolutions included the need to ensure children are safe both in school and to curtail child labour, assuring that the parliament will work with the government and relevant NGOs to create safe spaces for children.

She added that in the case of kidnappings and harmful traditional norms such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and tribal marks, they hope to embark on sensitization campaigns in rural areas to enlighten them on the harmful effects of these practices against children.

The Speaker, however, called on the government, traditional rulers, the international community, and the Nigerian public to safeguard the rights of children, as the government cannot do it alone.

She said, “We urge everyone to protect and safeguard the rights of children such that they are safe, not being afraid to walk on the streets or being afraid of kidnap or molestation, and whereby child labour is eliminated.”

She stated that at the end of the meeting, they intend to work with relevant actors on how best to implement the Child Rights Act, especially in rural communities with little or no awareness about the Act.

The Country Director of Save the Children International, Duncan Harvey, has called on both federal and state governments to prioritise, budget for, and ensure the full implementation of the rights and privileges that every Nigerian child is entitled to enjoy.

He emphasised their commitment to eliminating various forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violations of children’s rights across Nigeria, stating that these issues contradict the Child Rights Act (2003) and the Child Protection Law, which have been adopted by all state governments in Nigeria.

“In principle, violence against children is preventable. When governments, civil societies, communities, and individuals unite with a shared vision and commitment, children can be protected from all forms of violence, harmful practices, and abuses, enabling them to achieve their full potential,” Harvey asserted.

In his address, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr. Gabriel Aduda, underscored the ministry’s deliberate efforts to promote children’s rights to participation, adding the importance of involving children in discussions on matters affecting their well-being, as it empowers them to speak out and reduces the culture of silence surrounding sensitive issues.

Aduda, who was represented by the Director of Child Development of the ministry, Mr. Ali Andrew Madugu, also said that the very exercise of promoting child participation is one of the core principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which asserts that children and young people have the right to freely express their views and that there is an obligation on us as adults and policymakers to listen to children’s views and to facilitate their participation in all matters affecting them in accordance with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Child Rights Act, 2003, upholds.

He, however, assured that the issues highlighted by the children parliamentarians would be looked into by the ministry.