TheNewsGuru

Tag: Children’s Day

  • Children’s Day: Edo Govt commits to creating safe spaces for children

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the gamut of reforms and initiatives to improve the quality of life of children in the state demonstrate the state government’s commitment to providing spaces for children to fully realise their potentials.

    Obaseki gave this assurance on the occasion of the 2018 Children’s Day celebrations, held at the University of Benin Sports Complex, in Benin City, on Sunday.

    Obaseki, who was represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, said the theme for this year’ s Children’s Day celebration, Creating Safe Spaces for Children: our Collective Responsibility, is apt and reflects the commitment of the Edo State government towards creating secure environment for the overall development of children and the prosperity of families.

    He said the state was committed, more than ever before, to creating safe spaces for children with its aggressive fight against human trafficking, which is one of the greatest crimes against humanity.

    According to him, “The setting up of the Anti-human trafficking Task Force attests to the fact that government places priority on the issue. On my part, I am committed to protecting the total wellbeing of the Edo Child. The office of the First Lady in 2017 launched the Children’s version of the Child Rights Law. In 2018, we launched the state’s version of Ending Violence Against Children in Nigeria (EVAC).

    Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, who was represented by the Deputy Governor’s wife, Mrs. Maryann Shaibu, said, “We launched the Betsy Obaseki After School Club and Betsy’s Angels Shelter and Training initiatives to provide skills for our secondary school children and give second chance to returnees in the state.”

    Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, said between last year’s celebration and this year’s, the state government has initiated policies and engaged in collaborations that have impacted on the wellbeing of the Edo Child.

    Meanwhile, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has hailed the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration for the commitment, innovation and foresight in adopting technology driven reforms that midwifed the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo BEST) programme.

    Acting Chairman of Edo SUBEB and Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said that the board has fully integrated the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools for teaching and administration in selected schools in the pilot phase of the Edo BEST programme.

    Dr. Osa Oviawe, reflecting on the governor’s initiatives, explained that the reforms are to create a conducive learning environment for children to excel in their academics, noting, “We have launched registration of pupils using ICT in schools where the Head Teachers were trained in the Edo BEST pilot programme.

    She added, “The Head Teachers were trained to create an electronic profile for each child in these schools. Every child is now being registered using smart phones distributed to the teachers. The head teacher takes a picture of the child, records the vital information: name, date of birth, name and phone number of parents and guardians, among other data.”

    “The idea behind the registration using ICT is to enable Edo SUBEB develop personal record for every child in public schools, so that when a child transfers to another school, their electronic profile will be easily transferred to the new school the child resumes,” she noted

    Speaker of the Edo Children’s Parliament, Hon. Abieyuwa-Ereomo Omoregie, called for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to address all forms of abuse against children.

    During a media chat with journalists in Benin to mark the 2018 Children’s Day celebrations, Omoregie said: “Insulting or flogging a child as a method of correction is harmful and wrong and it is a form of Mental and emotional abuse. Such forms of abuse are painful and put scars in the mind of the child and these scars are difficult to erase,” she added.

     

  • Gov. Akeredolu pledges more child protection intervention programmes

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has reiterated his administration’s commitment to preemptive and preventive intervention measures to ensure the security of children in the state.

    The governor gave this pledge in his address to commemorate the 2018 Children’s Day on Sunday in Akure.

    Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi, said government and its officials, could not be everywhere, hence, measures must be in place to enhance preventive intervention programmes through collective responsibility.

    He said that it was the collective responsibility of parents, schools authorities, teachers, religious leaders, traditional leaders and civil society to create safe spaces for children.

    The governor said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Creating safe spaces for children: Our collective responsibility” was timely with the increasing cases of threats to security of children in the society.

    “To demonstrate our commitment to the objectives of ensuring that children are safe everywhere in the state, on May 27, 2017, I announced and showed a red card alert to all child abusers to stop the act or face the wrath of law.

    “While government is not interested in putting anyone in prison, it will not fold it arms and allow enemies of progress to destroy the children and the well-being of our society,” he said.

    Akeredolu further used the occasion to stress the importance of education and access to justice for children in the state.

    Earlier in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Omowumi Olatunji-Edet, said the day was important to draw the attention of government at all levels to the prevailing issues on children.

    Olatunji-Edet said the event would allow the children come together in relatively large groups to socialise and share experiences, thereby broadening their horizons.

    She, therefore, urged stakeholders to give attention to the issues bordering on the children as well as give them the necessary space to thrive without exposing them to danger.

     

  • We have capacity to overcome challenges – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday declared that Nigeria has the capacity to overcome the many challenges it is facing.

    He said this while addressing State House Correspondents after a special service to observe the country’s Children’s Day held at the Aso Villa chapel, Abuja.

    “The truth of the matter is that there are always challenges everywhere in every nation of the world.

    “But I am convinced that we have the capacity to surmount all of the challenges as there are.

    “And the key feature for me, one of the key features of government and governance is the human development index, education, healthcare and the welfare of our citizens,’’ he said.

    According to Osinbajo, for the first time the federal government is doing a programme that none has ever done so far, that is the social investment programme.

    “The focus of that is on the human development index, home grown school feeding.

    “For the first time we are feeding 8.2 million children every day in 24 states.

    “And that is because we are concerned about the nutrition of the children, we are concerned about the fact that children if they are not well fed, become stunted, even mentally,’’ the Vice President noted.

    Osinbajo added that those were the kind of things that the administration thought ought to be done “”and we are doing them and we have to keep expanding, keep working, keep building, spending more and more”.

    He described the Nigerian children as special“ because the future of our nation belongs to them and they have all that it takes to give the country a great future.

    “They are very bright, they are very energetic, and they are very innovative and very creative.’’

    Osinbajo noted that by watching the drama and listening to the music rendered by the children at the service one could tell that there was so much innovation and so much energy in them.

    “And so I am completely convinced that our nation’s future is extremely bright because of all of the children that God has given us, the talent he has given us.”

    Osinbajo observed that the event was also a moment “to reflect on the responsibility both government and adults have to ensure that “we give to these children the very best that we can.

    “And that is why the commitment of our government is to that bottom of the pyramid: those who cannot afford education and cannot afford healthcare.

    “Our focus is on trying to get the very best for them; and we are going to even do more of that.’’

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, also urged Nigerian children to have faith in Nigeria as the government was preparing so much for them and their future.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Vice President and all the administration work so hard to preserve the future of Nigerian children.

    “Everything we are doing today we have them in mind because we know that we have finished living for today we are living to prepare for them tomorrow,’’ Enang stated.

    Pastor Seyi Malomo, the Pastor in charge of Aso Villa Chapel, told correspondents that he had seen a great hope for the children.

    “A day like this, as we celebrate the Nigerian child, it helps us to reassure the children that there is hope and future for them and particularly under this administration.

    “I am always enthused and happy when I see pictures of the President; he is always surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

    “And like the children mentioned in the service they presented a gift to Mr. President and Vice President acknowledging that their labour and service is not just for them but for the children coming.

    “So I believe there is hope for the children; they should be rest assured that the future will be brighter and they will enjoy it.”

    Malomo had at the service advised Nigerians to imbibe the lessons which Christ used the children to teach.

    In his sermon titled “Lessons from Children’’, Malomo said children easily made friends and were always themselves because they always said what they meant.

    He advised Nigerians to become like children by being humble to assure their greatness adding that the way they received children determined how they would be accepted by God.

    The Executive of the Nigerian Christian Corpers (Corps members) Fellowship attended the service while children of the African International College, Abuja, and those of the School for the Blind, Jabi, Abuja rendered songs.

    Other children staged a drama to discourage early exposure to the internet and social media to children by their wealthy parents.

    A representative of the children, Gbemisola Owoeye, a JS 1 student, thanked the President and Vice President for their relentless service to the nation adding that the children would continue to pray for them not to relent.

     

  • Children’s Day: UNICEF pledges to support Kaduna State Govt. take children off streets

    Children’s Day: UNICEF pledges to support Kaduna State Govt. take children off streets

    UNICEF on Sunday pledged continued support to Kaduna State Government to assist take-off the streets the alarming number of children begging for alms.

    Dr Zakari Adam, the Chief Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, made the pledge at the Fifth Chukker Polo Club, during the Children’s Day celebration, organised by UNICEF for school children.

    The theme of the celebration is, “Creating Safe Spaces for Children: Our Collective Responsibility.”

    Adam said that Kaduna has a large population of children who hawk and beg for arms.

    “On the streets of Kaduna, you will see a huge population of children hawking and begging for alms instead of being in school where they should be.

    “I commended the state government for launching end violence against children campaign and domesticating of Child’s Rights Act.

    “I want to reiterate here that UNICEF is determine to mobilise resources to support the state get all children back to school and tackle all forms of violence against children, “Adam said.

    He said that the Children’s Day celebration provided an excellent opportunity to speak out on behalf of all the vulnerable and deprived children in Kaduna State and the country.

    “UNICEF will continue to partner relevant institutions and private organisations to ensure that children access their rights to enable them grow as they should.

    “We shall continue to expand our collaboration with Kaduna State Government to champion the course and rights of children.

    “We are out to change the narrative for children by tackling their problems from all angles, by developing protective laws, promoting services, and adequate budgetary allocation and release and raising the needed awareness, “Adam added.

    He thanked Fifth Chukker, Access Bank, and other relevant stakeholders who are supporting to put smiles on children’s face

    Hajiya Hafsat Baba, Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, who spoke, reiterated government’s commitment to the protection of children’s right.

    She explained that the state has domesticated the Child’s Rights Act, adding that plans are on to establish additional three sexual assault centres, and three children homes.

    Baba said that all these were part of effort to protect the interest of the child.

    The commissioner thanked UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the state in ensuring children’s survival and uninterrupted development to adulthood.

    One of the children, Hafsat El-Rufa’i of Al-amanah Academy, express joy for being part of the celebration and thanked UNICEF for sponsoring the programme.

     

  • UNICEF to end violence against children

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its commitment towards ending Violence Against Children (VAC) by 2030, urging stakeholders and duty-bearers to create safe spaces for children.

    In a statement, in Akure, yesterday, UNICEF Communication Officer, Lagos, Blessing Ejiofor, to commemorate 2018 Children’s Day, themed: “Creating safe spaces for children: our collective responsibility,” said UNICEF Nigeria Deputy Representative, Mr. Isiye Ndombi, noted that violence against children are pervasive, making life unbearable and unsafe for them.

    He said the 2018 theme provides an excellent opportunity to speak up on behalf of all vulnerable children in the country.

    Ndombi, however, noted that Nigeria has demonstrated clear commitment to end VAC, saying, “Nigeria was the first country in West Africa 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.

    “The findings, released at the end of 2015, highlighted that millions of Nigerian children are suffering violence every year 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 five per cent of the children seek help and receive support.”

  • Children’s Day: We must ensure safety of Nigerian children – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his “administration’s commitment to the protection of children.”

    The president stated this in his message to mark the Children’s Day, celebrated on May 27.

    Mr Buhari’s statement was made available to journalist via mail.

    Read his full statement below.

    Today affords me another opportunity to re-affirm our administration’s commitment to the protection of children, a day to reflect on our roles and responsibilities as Parents and Leaders towards our children, and also assessing how far we have fared in this regard.

    As you may recall, one of the cardinal objectives of this administration is the provision of quality education to our children as a fundamental foundation of economic and social development. In this regard, I am pleased to inform you that this administration has recorded measurable success in the home grown school feeding programme as it has continued to expand.

    Our children are our future, and the initiatives that come from them give confidence that our country has a bright future.

    I am always inspired and encouraged when I remember encounters I had with three of our young ones. When I was on medical vacation in 2017, three year old Maya Jammal recorded a prayer for my recovery, which went viral online.

    Also, 10-year-old Aisha Aliyu Gebbi wrote a personal letter to me, describing herself as my “biggest fan”.

    Nicole Benson, then 12-years-old, had contributed the sum of Five Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira and Eighty-Five kobo (N5,700.85) to my campaign in 2015. The money was all saved up from her lunch and pocket allowance. There are millions of such children nationwide.

    I am very impressed by what our children have been able to do, and what the future holds for them. That is one reason why we are committed to the school feeding programme, to prepare a future generation of physically and intellectually robust children. At the last count, over 8.2 million children in 24 states of the Federation are being given free meals daily. This happens in 45,000 schools round the country.

    I therefore call on all stakeholders to support this programme to ensure that all the 36 states of the federation and FCT are covered. This will promote substantially higher enrolment levels in our schools.

    Since its inception in May, 2015, this administration has also focused attention on addressing issues of child protection, participation and survival. In 2015, the campaign to end violence against children was launched which was commemorated in 2016. In November 2016, the Campaign to End Child Marriage was also launched to ensure that as many children as possible are able to fully enjoy their childhood and be protected from all the challenges associated with this phenomenon. These campaigns have been reinforced with sensitisation campaigns in some States of the Federation.

    The theme for this year’s celebration “Creating Safe Spaces for Children: Our Collective Responsibility” is an opportunity to promote the safety and security of our children. As a responsible Government, we are committed to ensuring that children are protected from violence and exploitation against them, and, that their environments are safe enough for them to pursue their educational attainments, discover their full potentials to grow into responsible citizens.

    This administration has made giant strides in the protection of the Rights of the Nigerian Child and as a result of such efforts, Nigeria has been declared a Pathfinding Country on Ending Violence Against Children. This I believe is a collective achievement and I urge us to continue to build on the present momentum to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    In our efforts to protect our children from abuse, exploitation and trafficking as well as provide safe, non-violent inclusive and effective learning environment in our schools, this administration has directed the management of all federal government colleges and advised all state owned schools across the country to provide adequate measures of safety and security of their students. I again call on all schools management committees at all levels of public and private institutions to take adequate security measures and put in place mechanisms for safety of children.

    May I therefore call on the families, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, human rights activists, and the society at large to rise up and take urgent and decisive actions to stem the unacceptable rising cases of violence against our children. We must ensure safety of our children in homes, schools, markets, worship centres, on the streets and everywhere at all times.

    Furthermore let me use this medium to appeal to parents not to relent in their efforts to send their wards to school, especially the girl child as her education reduces infant and maternal mortality and prevents early and child marriages. It also increases literacy and reduces poverty. The saying that to educate a woman is to educate the nation is very apt in this regard.

    Finally, while I appreciate the security agencies for their efforts so far, I urge them to redouble their efforts in protecting children from danger and violence in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Child Rights Acts, 2003.

    Once again, happy Children’s Day.

  • Children’s Day: UNICEF adopts comprehensive approach to end violence against children

    The United Nations Children Fund says it is adopting a comprehensive approach to curtail violence against children in Nigeria.

    UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Dr. Olasunbo Odebode, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja to mark this year’s Children’s Day.

    The 2017 theme is: “Child protection and SDGs: Issues and opportunities.”

    Violence against children, according to her, is any form of abuse; it may be physical, emotional or anything that constitute an attack on the children.

    She identified some violence against children to include sexual and all forms of abuses, exploitation, child labour, trafficking, neglect and slavery, among others.

    Odebode noted that UNICEF is after children protection system strengthening approach which is all encompassing rather than taking them in silo or addressing them one after the other.

    The expert, who described violence as multifaceted, however, said that addressing the menace in the society and ensured perpetrators were brought to book required multi-sectoral approach and efforts.

    Odebode who expressed displeasure on the rate of molestation, sexual abuses, assault, among other vices in the country, underscored the need for all hands to be deck to address the scourge.

    According to her, we cannot fold our hands and allow the future of our children and the society to be ruined by the wicked ones.

    She emphasised that any child that is being violated in whatever form, if not addressed adequately, would suffer physically, emotional, morally and psychologically.

    “In Nigeria, children are faced with a lot of challenges whether in the area of health, education, poverty, security or protection.

    “In this regard, curtailing violence against children in the society require multi-sectoral efforts or response.

    “And UNICEF has put mechanism in place across the federation like capacity building of Judges, teachers, Police, traditional and religious leaders, social welfare, changing the perception of what constitute violence, among others.

    “The capacity building was to acquaint them with what constitute violence and ensure that when the child is confronted with any form they will know what to do to effectively address the cases.

    “What we are after is child protection system strengthening approach; this means an encompassing strategy including prevention and response, not that we will wait till violence occurs before we act,” she said.

     

     

     

    NAN

  • VIDEO: IDPs celebrate Children’s Day

    VIDEO: IDPs celebrate Children’s Day

    As the world marks Children’s Day today, the United Nations is calling for urgent action to adopt the Child Rights Act across all of Nigeria’s states and to heed the President’s call to end violence against children.

    Millions of Nigerian children suffer some form of physical, emotional or sexual violence.

    Nevertheless, children in Internally Displaced Persons’ camps have not been left out in the celebration.

    Watch video:

    Video Credit: The Punch

  • Children’s Day: We are committed to securing future of Nigerian child – Dogara

    The House of Representatives will continue to work towards building a society that will be conducive for the overall growth and development of the Nigerian child, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has said.

    In a press statement signed by his special adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, to mark the 2017 Children’s Day, the Speaker maintained that issues concerning the welfare of children, especially those of the poor and vulnerable in the society, were top priority to the legislature.

    Dogara stated that it was in line with this that the House supports free basic education for all Nigerian children, as it has the potential to unlock their ties to poverty and open a new vista of opportunities to them to generate prosperity for themselves, their families, the society and the nation at large.

    “For a society to develop, the young children must be given an avenue to express themselves and explore their potentials to the fullest.

    “The most veritable, most effective tool for this is education. Education is the key to breaking the chains of poverty and opening opportunities to prosperity in all spheres of human endeavour,” the Speaker noted.

    While expressing joy that more of the Chibok school girls had regained freedom and will be spending this Children’s Day with their families, he assured that the National Assembly will continue to render full support to the executive in the efforts to secure the release of the other girls who are still in captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists.

    Dogara also expressed confidence that children who are internally displaced in the country, will soon return to their homes to live proper lives as the government is not resting on its oars in ensuring that they reunite with their fami lies before long.

    The Speaker urged states, which were yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act to do so in order to halt the spate of unwarranted crimes against children, as well as uphold their rights.

  • Children’s Day: U.S. provides N3bn grant for 175,000 pregnant women, children in Borno

    The United States Government has provided an additional 9.5 million dollars (about N2.9 billion) to the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) to ensure good health for pregnant women and children under five years in Borno.

    The U.S Embassy in a statement on Friday in Abuja said the fund was to ensure that more than 175,000 mothers and children did not suffer from malnutrition during “lean” season in 2017.

    It quoted U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID), Nigeria Mission Director Stephen Haykin as saying that “the grant was from USAID’s Health, Population, and Nutrition Office.

    Haykin said the grant was to augment ongoing support for the humanitarian assistance in Nigeria by U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and Food for Peace.

    He said it was also to seek to bridge a funding shortfall announced by WFP late last month.

    According to him the grant will fund a blanket supplementary feeding programme to protect the nutrition status of children aged six months to five years.

    He said that it would also help in lactating women in Internally Displaced Persons Camps and host communities of Borno State through provision of specialised nutritious foods.

    “In response to the call by WFP to meet a severe funding shortfall, USAID is pleased to play a part in making sure that the most vulnerable of those impacted by the Boko Haram conflict are taken care of.

    “This support will go to nine areas where the needs of mothers and their children are the greatest”, he said.

    He said that the assistance would help WFP reach additional 110,000 children under five and 65,000 pregnant and nursing mothers with specialised nutritious food commodities in nine local government areas in Borno.

    “WFP launched what is known as a Blanket Supplementary Feeding Program aims to prevent the further decline in nutritional status among young children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition.

    “It is also aimed at protecting the nutritional status of others who are not yet malnourished but are at high risk”, he said.

    He said the programme would distribute the nutrient-rich food monthly through the end of the rainy, or “lean”, season in August.

    According to him, the programme anticipates to significantly reduce the burden on the health system related to treating malnutrition as well as other health conditions related to under nutrition, consequently preventing related mortality.

     

     

    NAN