UNICEF Calls For Urgent Action As Lagos Children Speak Out On Daily Hardships
Children in Lagos took centre stage on Thursday, voicing urgent demands for better education, healthcare, and nutrition.
They made the demand at an event to celebrate World Children’s Day, organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry for Youths & Social Development, in Lagos.
For instance, Fourteen-year-old Obeye Esther appealed for affordable healthcare and more community health centres, while highlighting the dangers of poor nutrition and unsafe food.
Eleven-year-old Oluwaferanmi Sulaimon urged lawmakers to prioritise child-focused spending, even as she called for more classrooms, trained teachers, digital learning tools, and improved school security.
Addressing the children, majority leader Hon. Noheem Adams, representing the speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, assured that the Assembly is committed to strengthening human capital development through strategic investments in health and education.
He revealed that legislation establishing a standalone University of Medicine has been passed, aiming to expand the state’s healthcare workforce and improve access to quality medical care.
“We are expanding general hospitals and primary health centres across the state. But infrastructure alone is not enough without qualified personnel. The University of Medicine will enable Lagos to produce more skilled health professionals to meet rising demand,” Adams said.
On education, Adams said Lagos is building more classrooms, including digital learning spaces, while recruiting and training teachers to reduce class sizes and enhance classroom effectiveness.
He acknowledged concerns about out-of-school children and said the state is working closely with the Ministry of Education to develop strategies for children in street situations, ensuring that human rights are respected.
Child safety was another key focus, as Adams reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting children from abduction and other security risks, citing past incidents that prompted tighter surveillance around schools. “You will see soldiers posted in sensitive areas to protect children. Lagos remains the safest state in Nigeria, and we intend to keep it that way,” he said.
Adams therefore urged children living in Lagos to avoid negative influences and take advantage of new opportunities, assuring them that the Assembly would continue prioritising policies and initiatives that strengthen child welfare across Lagos State.
Celine Lafoucriere, UNICEF Lagos field office chief, called on legislators to take urgent action to safeguard and advance the rights of children.
Addressing lawmakers, government officials, and children in attendance, Lafoucriere emphasized that children’s rights are not privileges to be granted at will but fundamental entitlements, including the right to education, health, protection, clean water, and to be heard.
She sounded a warning about the global
decline in child-focused funding, noting that cuts could result in 4.5 million additional child deaths by 2030 and six million more children out of school by 2026.
Highlighting that over 200 million children are in urgent need of support, the Lagos chief stressed that the current international funding gaps should not become the story for Lagos. “This is the world we are operating in right now. But it does not have to be our Lagos story,” she said, praising the state’s strong record in birth registration and prior child-centered initiatives.
Lafoucriere stressed that children’s participation is essential in policymaking, urging legislators not to dismiss their testimonies as mere anecdotes but to recognize them as real-life accounts of unmet rights. “These children are here because they believe you can help. They believe you will help,” she said, reminding lawmakers of the power they hold to enact meaningful change.
Central to her message was the transformative impact of investing in children. “Every child you invest in becomes a healthier, smarter, more productive adult. Every child you protect is one less person trapped in poverty or crime. Every child you empower becomes a leader who builds a better Lagos,” Lafoucriere stated.
She encouraged the Assembly members to move beyond listening, calling for specific, actionable commitments such as fixing schools, expanding digital learning in remote communities, building health centres, and including children’s voices in decision-making.
Lafoucriere therefore reaffirmed UNICEF’s readiness to support Lagos in fulfilling children’s rights and urged that the dialogue translate into visible actions. “Let us leave here with actions that children can see and feel in their daily lives. Let us show them what leadership looks like,” she declared, reinforcing the message that effective governance and child-focused policies are essential to building a stronger, more equitable Lagos.ip must be visible,” she said. “Let us show every child in Lagos that their rights matter, today and every day. Itesiwaju Eko!”
