Child protection advocates have called for better protection of children from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Child Protection Network (CPN), Coordinator, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, Gbenga Adeleke, made the call at a two-day training on Child Protection in the FCT, on Wednesday in Abuja.
He noted that children are considered vulnerable members of society because they cannot protect themselves against violence and other vices meted out to them.
Adeleke insisted that child protection is essential to ensure the best interests of the child and ensure their rights, as embedded in the Child Rights Act, are safeguarded.
“Children have the right to survival. Children have the right to participation and development. All of these are other subsumed rights.
“Child protection is a measure structured to prevent and respond to child abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence,” he explained.
According to him, the training is critical to empower stakeholders to understand how to protect children better, wherever they are
He added, “Our mandate as the Child Protection Network is to protect children and provide them with a protective environment, either at home, at school, or wherever they find themselves.
“The expectation is that at every point in time, somebody is responsible for the care of these children, either their biological parents or people around them.”
Speaking on the role of government in protecting the rights of children, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat Mandate Secretary, Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, stated that the government has zero tolerance for child rights violations and has a dedicated department under the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat.
Represented by the Director Child under the Secretariat, Dr. Idris Attah, she said, “The FCT administration has a committee that is going around to make sure that there are no street beggars or children engaged in begging.
“Issues of children are something that each and every one of us needs to take very seriously because they are a vulnerable group.”
She also said, “Children can’t protect themselves, they can’t decide for themselves, they can’t even provide for themselves.”
