In 2003 the National Assembly enacted the Nigerian Child Rights Act in what is largely regarded as a comprehensive legislature to promote the rights of the Nigerian child.

Its major provisions include the prohibition of child labour, and early marriage, protects children’s right to health services, including access to medical care, sanitation, and nutrition.

It also guarantees the right of the child to education, including access to quality education and free compulsory primary education.

The legislation also prohibits physical, mental, or emotional injury, abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and exploitation.

Twenty-two years after, to what extent has the Act impacted on the lives of Nigerian child?

Also, has its spirit and letters truly been implemented; what are the challenges faced and how can things improve?

Poor Implementation Mars the Benefits

Stakeholders who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in different parts of the country while applauding the law, said it was unfortunate that it had not delivered on expectations due to poor implementation.

In Minna, Mrs Olugbemisola Osagiede-Daramola, the founder of Olugbemisola Daramola Child Care Foundation, urged a closer partnership among governments, civil society organisations and the private sector in the implementation of the law.

Osagiede-Daramola, a social worker, urged stakeholders to provide children with information on their rights and what to do when they think those rights were being violated.

“There are over eight million out of school children in the country. The government should intensify efforts to integrate them into mainstream schools.

“They should be offered meals, free text and exercise books, with periodic inspection of activities of the schools by the Ministry of Education.

“Punitive measures should be put in place for parents who encourage truancy or early marriage among their children,’’ she said.

She said there should be evidence that the country was truly ready to abolish child trafficking by dealing decisively with child traffickers.

Also reacting, Mrs Oluwakemi Omeiza-Usman the chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Kogi, said there was the need to undertake a critical evaluation of government’s efforts towards protecting children’s rights.

Omeiza-Usman said the Child Rights Act and related labour laws had been domesticated by Kogi, adding that some progress had been made in their implementation.

She called for rigorous awareness campaigns by the government, NGOs, faith, civil society and community-based organisations to take child rights advocacy to the grassroots.

She said though governments had done well by the establishment of family courts to boost school enrolment challenges remained.

“These challenges persist because of weak enforcement of labour laws, especially in rural areas where the under-aged work in markets, farms and do other domestic jobs,’’ she said.

Other challenges are inadequate funding for child protection agencies, religious and cultural issues, particularly concerning early marriage and child labour.

“There have been some prosecutions, but they remain limited, compared to the scale of violations,’’ she said.

She said FIDA, Kogi chapter, was involved in legal aid for victims and pushing for stricter enforcement, and called for more political will if greater success would be achieved.

“The National Action Plan on Street Children NAPSS – a federal policy is yet to be fully implemented in states.

“There are gaps with challenges of shelters and shortage of social workers. FIDA’s role in overcoming these challenges is to advocate better policies, foster care systems, and engender the enforcement of child protection laws.

“We also provide free legal services to street children subjected to abuse or exploitation,’’ she told NAN.

In Nasarawa some stakeholders commended the Nasarawa State Government for domesticating the Child Rights Law to provide a safe environment for children to grow and develop.

The stakeholders said the law was a crucial step towards protecting children’s rights and welfare and ensuring they strived to achieve their aspirations.

Dr Nawani Aboki, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Centre for Women, Youth, and Community Action (NACWYCA) said the law, if fully implemented, would has good prospects for children it the state.

Mere Enactment of Law not Enough

Aboki, however, said that in spite of the domestication, implementation remained a challenge, making it difficult for abused children to get justice.

He told NAN that the organisation recently paid an advocacy visit to the Commissioners for Women Affairs and Justice on the need for the full implementation of the law.

“NACWYCA is pushing for a functional family court, juvenile home, and safe space for children who were abused or neglected,” he added.

A lawyer, Mr Ovey Moses, said it was good that the state had domesticated the law to protect children from abuse and neglect.

The legal practitioner called on the government to make enough financial resources available for those charged with the responsibility of implementing the law.

Also, Mrs Habiba Musa, a parent and resident of Lafia, said that she was happy the child rights law was domesticated in the state.

Mrs Musa, however, appealed that the government should be hard on anyone found culpable of violating the law, adding that doing so would serve as a deterrent to others.

Hauwa Jugbo, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, said the Gov. Abdullahi Sule-led administration had done a lot toward protecting the rights of children.

She said that most times perpetrators of abuse against children, women, and other vulnerable groups were either relatives of the victims or neighbours.

The commissioner also said often times when such perpetrators were arrested family members, friends, and prominent people in the society intervene to help save them from facing the law.

“We have established a Sexual Assault Referral Centre at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital as well as a Shelter Home for victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

“We have also activated a free medical treatment for rape victims, thereby removing barriers to accessing care and support,” she told NAN.

A public affairs analyst, Dr Abdullahi Jabi, called on governments at all levels to synergise and create the enabling environment for the girl-child to benefit from the law.

He told NAN Minna that it had become imperative to address the menace headlong.

Jabi said if governments effectively implemented the Act and other relevant laws they would go a long way in addressing violence and other forms of abuse against children.

“I urge our governments to rise to the challenges instead of embarking on some policies that would not have direct bearing on the lives of the citizens.

“The welfare of the citizens is very germane at all levels of governance, whether local, state or federal,” he said.

“Provision of infrastructure and facilities will take care of the child growth development and make useful to the larger society in the future.

“Organised traditional institutions are also important in ensuring that children are well taken care of.

“Parents should also ensure they take care of their children in all ramifications, especially by sending them to school when due,” he advised. (NAN)