UNICEF Wants Child Rights, Protection Issues In The Nigerian Media Front Burner

In a concerted effort to enhance the lives of Nigeria’s 110 million children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and other partners, has urged the media to elevate the issues of child rights and protection to the forefront of public discourse.

This call to action was made at a symposium, themed, “Reinforcing the Role of Media in Mainstreaming Child Rights,” on Saturday, supported by the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) and the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

Stakeholders at the symposium stressed the critical role of the media in advocating for the well-being and rights of children across the nation.

The event followed the release of a UNICEF report which showed disturbing statistics that nearly half of all Nigerian children live in poverty, 41 out of every 1,000 newborns die before their first birthday, and 2.1 million children remain unvaccinated.

The report titled, “The State of Nigeria’s Children: Summary of the 2024 Situational Analysis of Children and Adolescents in Nigeria,’ also revealed that 4.9 million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Additionally, it highlighted that 40 percent of children under five are stunted due to malnutrition, while eight percent suffer from wasting.

Cristian Munduate, UNICEF’s representative in Nigeria, stressed the transformative power of the media in influencing policy, public perception and urgent action to improve children’s lives.

“Media can drive change by keeping children’s issues at the top of the national agenda,” she said. Highlighting alarming statistics, Munduate noted that nearly half of Nigerian children live in poverty, with 67 percent experiencing multidimensional deprivations such as malnutrition, lack of education, and inadequate healthcare; additionally, 2.1 million children remain unvaccinated, 4.9 million need urgent humanitarian aid, and three out of four children in school are failing to meet basic literacy and numeracy standards.

She argued that they must move beyond reporting daily events to deliberate, sustained advocacy that holds stakeholders accountable.

“This includes the federal and state governments, religious and traditional leaders, and families. You are uniquely positioned to inform and equip these stakeholders with the tools to protect children’s rights,” Munduate stressed.

She cited past examples where media pressure influenced government action, such as stepping in to protect children from harsh judicial punishments.

She also challenged media organisations to celebrate progress and positive developments for children while maintaining a focus on the urgent need for reforms in education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.

“Childhood is short – just 18 years. The changes we make today are the only ones that matter for these children. The media has the power to create a sense of urgency and push for the immediate actions that children cannot wait for,” Munduate noted.

Munduate also encouraged media to foster competition among states in achieving milestones like open defecation-free status and improving access to food and education. By amplifying solutions and inspiring collaboration, the media can change the narrative for Nigeria’s children and help secure their future, she affirmed.

Similarly, Eze Anaba, the president, NGE, urged media practitioners to take a more proactive role in advocating for the rights and well-being of Nigerian children, underscoring the urgent need to address pressing issues affecting children, including malnutrition, lack of education, and vulnerability to preventable diseases.

Anaba said, “Children in Nigeria are still dying from diseases that have been eradicated elsewhere or for which vaccinations are available. This situation demands a collective effort from media practitioners, health workers, policymakers, and the government to declare a state of emergency for children and place them at the forefront of national priorities.”

Anaba highlighted the stark realities facing children in Nigeria, where nearly half of the 220 million population are underage, adding that millions of children are out of school, subjected to abuse, child labor, and early marriages, while others face violence and recruitment as child combatants in conflict-affected regions.

“These statistics are not just numbers; they are stories of children whose rights are being denied and whose dreams are deferred,” he bemoaned.

Anaba noted that the symposium brought together senior government officials, media practitioners, advocates, and stakeholders, united in their commitment to creating a society where every child can thrive.

He enjoined journalists and editors to wield their storytelling power to inspire and drive societal change.

“The media is not just a passive observer of society but an active participant in shaping norms and influencing policies. We must uncover and amplify the voices of the voiceless and pressure policymakers to act,” he stated.

He also emphasized the need for solution-based journalism that highlights problems while exploring and advocating for remedies. Citing successful child-friendly policies and community-driven solutions.

Anaba stressed the importance of celebrating progress alongside addressing challenges. “Partnerships with organisations like UNICEF can provide data and tools to strengthen advocacy. We must commit to actionable steps, whether through investigative reports, collaborations with NGOs, or dedicated platforms for child rights,” he said.

Citing Nelson Mandela, Anaba said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.”  He challenged the media to become the conscience of society, using its platforms to prioritise the education, healthcare, and protection of Nigerian children.

Tunde Onakoya, founder of the Chess in Slums Africa, in his presentation on the ‘urgency of the situation,’ stated that nearly half of seven million Nigerian children live in abject poverty, with Nigeria being one of the countries with the youngest population in the world.

He warned that if deliberate measures are not taken to invest in the capacity of Nigerian children, they will have no part to play in the world’s future.

According to Onakoya, “The real Nigerian challenge is the struggle of the Nigerian child. Nigeria is going to be the future workforce in the world in the next 50 years like Europe. If we have 20 million children out of school that do not have any skills or education, how would they participate in that future?

“There really would be no place for them in the world if they don’t have the education to contribute meaningfully to global markets. So what happens is that they will become liabilities in the future because they have no value to give. The world wants assets, and it desires an educated workforce to come and build economies,” he added.