Children's Day

CHILDREN'S Day every year, is devoted to elaborate ceremonies organised by Federal and state governments ostensibly to draw attention to the plight, challenges and future of the Nigerian child but the Nigerian child remains trapped in dire straits. The average Nigerian child is still a victim of socio-cultural prejudices and practices, including child abuse, child labour, child trafficking and exploitation, and the failure of Federal and state governments to put in place, a Child Rights Framework to guarantee the humanity and the future of the Nigerian child.

In 1954, the United Nations had recommended in Resolution 836 IX that all countries should institute a Universal Children's Day to be observed "as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children". The UN also advised governments across the world to choose a particular day in any month in order to pay special attention to the needs of children. On November 20, 1959 the General Assembly of the UN adopted the Convention on Rights of the Child. Indeed, children represent the future of the world. A nation which produces children with fragmented lives automatically threatens its own future. In Nigeria, especially, where the population is predominantly young, the importance of children cannot be over-emphasised.

Unfortunately, Nigerian governments have merely paid lip service to the rights of the child. The effect is that Nigerian children face special circumstances. According to UNICEF and the Nigerian Education Minister Dr. Aja Nwachukwu, about 10 million Nigerian children of school age are out of school. Education as a tool for liberating the child is crucial. Currently, most Nigerian kids do not have access to free and compulsory education. The public school system has all but collapsed. Few middle class parents would send their children to public schools; the parents who still do, have no choice in the matter. The private sector which has attempted to fill the vacuum created by the shaky public school system has not lived up to expectations either. About two months ago, in Ibadan, Oyo State, the walls of a so-called private school collapsed and killed two pupils. Many private schools thrive on exorbitant school fees, without any guarantee of quality.

In addition, child labour is still in practice. Children are still openly exploited as hawkers and peddlers in most cities. In the South Eastern part of the country, male registration in primary and secondary schools has dropped significantly. In the North, the alimanjiri phenomenon, that is the presence of too many out-of-school children on the streets, a vibrant army of poverty and neglect, clearly illustrates the scope of the dilemma. In recent times, there had been talks about the passing of Child Rights Bills in the states but this was strongly resisted by the forces of conservatism.

The Nigerian child is a victim of a certain kind of "adult delinquency" - that is the failure of the older generation to plan for the country's future. Adults in positions of authority unwittingly ruin the lives of millions of kids through disastrous choices. The political class has not helped matters with its corrupt attitude to politics and governance. What message do adults send to kids in an environment such as this? Last year, a young man who was caught cheating in the Joint Matriculation Examinations (JME) glibly referred to the massive cheating that took place in the April 2007 general elections as an excuse. Inexorably, we send contradictory signals to children who are otherwise, ironically described as "the leaders of tomorrow."

The poverty level in the land in spite of the great natural and human resources with which the country is blessed impacts negatively on children. When a state government once introduced a once-a-day feeding programme in schools, school registration increased tremendously. Child labour is yet another problem. There is a growing population of Nigerian children on the streets living dangerously as traders, beggars or homeless street kids. And child trafficking has also grown in recent times.

As for the girl child, her predicament is even more precarious. In some parts of the country, under-age girls are given out in marriage to men old enough to be their grand- fathers. This often results in all kinds of health problems, the most notorious being Vesico-Vagina Fistulae (VVF). The rape of young girls is rampant. Son-preference even by educated families, remains the norm and this places the girl-child at risk.

The National Assembly passed the Child Rights Bill into law in 2003, but since then, the necessary adoption of the same law by the states has met with stiff resistance. In some of the states, the Child Rights Bill became controversial, because certain provisions in it relating to child marriage, discrimination against the female child, girl-child abuse and child labour were thought to be a violation of culture and tradition. But culture should be dynamic; it should not become an obstacle to human rights and societal development.

Child Rights legislation would be most helpful in the states but then, the law is not enough in itself. The challenge is in the area of implementation as borne out by the examples of states where the Child Rights Bill has since been passed, and yet this has not translated into any special achievements. The political will to protect the future, by investing in children and the youths, can make all the difference. Nigeria's capacity to compete in a world that is focusing on skills and ability would depend on the quality of its investment in its young