Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called for stronger child-protection data and coordinated action to tackle violence against children nationwide through improved systems and coordination.
Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim made the call on Tuesday in a goodwill message delivered by Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Esuabana Nko-Asanye, at the 10th quarterly meeting of the National Child Rights Implementation Committee (NCRIC) in Abuja.
She urged the committee to move beyond receiving reports and develop pragmatic resolutions to address violence and other challenges confronting children nationwide, ensuring timely implementation, accountability and sustained follow-up on agreed actions.
“It is disheartening to hear on a daily basis the violence and atrocities being perpetrated against children, both online and offline,” she said, emphasising the urgency of coordinated action.
The minister said quarterly meetings should serve as platforms for problem-solving, coordination and follow-up actions to address all forms of violence against children through measurable interventions, clear responsibilities and accountability.
She called for stronger engagement with states and local governments to ensure their child rights implementation mechanisms were functional, adequately resourced and responsive, while strengthening coordination and institutional ownership.
Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim said child protection required coordinated systems covering prevention, early identification, referral, response, rehabilitation, reintegration and follow-up services across national, state and local levels for children.
She also identified reliable and harmonised data as essential for effective child protection planning, accountability and evidence-based interventions, particularly when responding to violence and emerging risks nationwide.
The minister said the National Protection Information and Monitoring System should remain a priority in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s child protection architecture and improve coordinated decision-making across institutions nationwide.
She urged members to use the ongoing review of the Child Rights Act 2003 to contribute practical recommendations that would strengthen child protection and implementation nationwide through reforms.
She also called on partners to strengthen existing government systems rather than create parallel structures at sub-national levels, promoting sustainability, coordination and institutional ownership across child protection efforts.
Director, Child Department, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Andrew Madugu, welcomed participants to the meeting and urged constructive engagement throughout the proceedings.
Mr Madugu said the best interest of the child must remain central to government and stakeholder interventions aimed at advancing child rights in Nigeria through coordinated and sustained action.
“The best interest of the child must remain at the centre of our intervention,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise child-centred approaches across relevant interventions and programmes nationwide.
He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), communities, families and other stakeholders involved in child protection.
Mr Madugu expressed confidence that the experience and expertise represented at the meeting would contribute to meaningful and result-oriented deliberations aimed at strengthening child rights protection in Nigeria.
He urged members and partners to participate actively and make constructive contributions towards strengthening child rights protection in Nigeria through practical recommendations, coordinated action and effective follow-up.
Co-chair, NCRIC, MacJohn Nwobiala, emphasised the need for regular meetings, stronger coordination and improved information management on children to support effective child protection efforts.
Mr Nwobiala said the committee had not met for some time, emphasising that regular engagements were necessary to review the situation of children, share information and strengthen coordination.
He urged stakeholders to strengthen linkages between the national and state child rights implementation committees to improve coordination, information sharing and accountability across relevant structures.
“We should have a strong secretariat, and as we are progressing, we should also have a very solid database on issues that relate to children,” he said.
Mr Nwobiala said improved coordination and reliable data would support Nigeria’s efforts to prepare periodic reports on its child rights obligations and strengthen national accountability mechanisms.
He urged members to make meaningful contributions and ensure the committee’s deliberations produced outcomes that strengthened child protection and improved implementation across relevant institutions and structures.
Also, , Access to Justice Manager, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ROLAC), Maureen Lance-Onyeiwu, called for stronger coordination to translate child-rights commitments into practical protection.
Ms Lance-Onyeiwu, represented by International IDEA, ROLAC Programme Project Assistant, Chidinma ThankGod, said effective protection required coordinated institutions, reliable information and adequate services for children nationwide.
She said the meeting provided an opportunity to review previous decisions, assess implementation and strengthen information management on child protection, coordination and follow-up mechanisms between meetings.
“This meeting, although coming late, is very timely and significant to the ongoing review of the Child Rights Act,” she said, describing the review as an opportunity.
Ms Lance-Onyeiwu urged the committee to identify legal and institutional gaps and build consensus on reforms that would strengthen implementation of the Act nationwide through practical recommendations.
She described coordination as the bridge between policy and protection, urging members to agree on priority actions, responsibilities and timelines for implementation, monitoring and follow-up.
“Coordination, which we are here for, is the bridge between policy and protection,” she said.
She urged members to establish clear responsibilities and timelines for effective implementation.
She said progress should be monitored between quarterly meetings through practical mechanisms that establish accountability for agreed actions and ensure timely implementation of decisions and recommendations.
She said child-sensitive justice must protect children’s dignity and privacy while ensuring appropriate legal and psychosocial support throughout justice processes and related interventions for vulnerable children.
Ms Lance-Onyeiwu added that no child should be excluded from justice because of poverty, disability, location or personal circumstances, underlining the need for inclusive services.
She said the true measure of the committee’s work would be whether children facing violence could obtain protection and whether children in conflict with the law were treated fairly.
Ms Lance-Onyeiwu expressed commitment to working with government, justice institutions, civil society organisations and other partners to strengthen referral, legal aid and justice services for children nationwide.
The meeting brought together representatives of ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, media and other stakeholders involved in child protection and related justice services nationwide.
(NAN)
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