The United Nations Children’s Fund has admonished the Nigerian government to ensure adequate safety of children across the nation.
In his message on the 2018 children’s day, which has the theme: “Creating a safe place for children; our collective responsibility,” UNICEF Nigeria Deputy Representative, Isiye Ndombi, said the Nigerian government led by President Muhammadu Buhari needed to do more to get rid of violence against children , a development which is getting pervasive on a daily basis.
He said, “Violence against children is pervasive. Violations occur in the home, school, workplace and online. The perpetrators often include the very people children are expected to trust: parents, caregivers and other family members, friends, teachers and intimate partners.
“Violence against children marks them – often for life. Sometimes, the marks are visible: bruises and broken bones. But the harm that violence causes children also affects their mental and physical health and their ability to function in the world. Nigeria has demonstrated clear commitment to end violence against children – and the theme for the Children’s Day in Nigeria this year ‘Creating safe spaces for children: our collective responsibility’, provides an excellent opportunity to speak up on behalf of all the vulnerable children in the country.”
While commending Nigeria’s efforts to curb Violence Against Children, Ndombi said, “Nigeria was the first country in the West African sub-region and the 9th country in the world to conduct the Violence Against Children survey in 2014. The survey provided the first nationally representative data on the prevalence of sexual, physical, and emotional violence among children in Nigeria.”
He also maintained that findings, released at the end of 2015, highlighted that millions of Nigerian children are suffering violence every year and most are suffering in silence.
“Six out of 10 children will suffer some form of emotional, physical or sexual violence before they reach the age of 18. Many of them encounter violence over and over. Yet, less than 5% of the children that seek help receive support. This was a clear call for the government at all levels to act to end violence against children,” he said.
