On World Children’s Day 2025 in Abuja, Nigerian children voiced powerful calls for urgent government and stakeholder action to prioritize their safety, education, nutrition, and overall well-being. The event, themed “The Future of Nigeria’s Children: Voices, Vision, and Action,” emphasized that children are Nigeria’s greatest resource and foundational to national progress.
Youth speakers lamented the dangers of insecurity, noting over 1,600 schoolchildren kidnapped since 2014, with ongoing threats disrupting education, particularly in northern Nigeria. Nutrition and health were also highlighted, with calls for expanded community programs and school feeding to combat malnutrition barrier to development.
Education emerged as a top priority, with concerns over Nigeria’s high out-of-school population more than 10.2 million children mostly in the North-West and North-East. Advocates urged increased budgets, quality teaching, and modern curricula promoting critical thinking and skills for the future.
UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Mohammed Fall highlighted progress in reducing child mortality and violence but stressed that two-thirds of Nigerian children still live in multidimensional poverty. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, emphasized that investment in children is key to sustainable national growth and called for more collaborative efforts to tackle insecurity and support safe schooling.
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