By Bilkis Abdulraheem Lawal
Stakeholders including media leaders, child-rights advocates, and government officials have renewed calls for stronger protection of Nigerian children, warning that the country cannot achieve meaningful development without prioritising children’s safety, education, and fundamental rights.
The call came at a media symposium in Ikeja, Lagos, organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) to commemorate World Children’s Day.
President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Eze Anaba, described Nigeria as being in a “state of emergency” over worsening child welfare indicators, from insecurity and school disruptions to poor health and education outcomes.
He urged journalists to amplify children’s voices through factual, sensitive reporting and pledged personal commitment to strengthening editorial attention on child-related issues.
Chairman of DAME, Mr. Lanre Idowu, noted that despite modest progress, the Nigerian child remains highly vulnerable. He called for more development-driven journalism, encouraging the media to go beyond episodic reporting by providing context, analysis, and human-centred storytelling.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Ms. Wafa Saeed, raised concern about millions of unvaccinated children and widespread acute malnutrition. She added that three out of four Nigerian 10-year-olds cannot read or understand a simple text, calling for full implementation of the Safe School Declaration to protect learners in conflict-prone areas.
UNICEF Child Rights Activist, Master Tinafi Akawo, urged policymakers to adopt technology-based security solutions in schools, including AI-powered early-warning systems to prevent kidnappings. He also advocated government-funded digital training programmes for vulnerable children.
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