On the occasion of Children’s Day 2020, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has congratulated Nigerian children.
Mr Lawan noted that the day had been set aside to highlight the challenges faced by children in order to promote their well-being and happiness.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President said the surest route to children’s happy and fulfilling future was to provide them with quality education and healthcare.
He also described their protection from all forms of violence as another way of serving their potential.
Mr Lawan said this realization led the federal government to introduce Universal Primary Education in 1976, which was extended to Universal Basic Education in 1999.
He said the enactment of the Child Right Act by the federal government in 2003 was also intended to give children a sense of belonging.
However, the senate president expressed concern that Nigeria was still heavily burdened with a large number of out-of-school children despite all of these efforts.
He said the situation poses serious danger to the country, and was unacceptable.
“I want to use the opportunity of this occasion to assure our children that the National Assembly is fully aware of the challenges that they face and will continue to work to guarantee a better future.
“I also call on the authorities at the sub-national level who have not done so, to domesticate the Child’s Rights Act for the sake of the future of our children,” Mr Lawan said.
The Senate President called for cooperation between federal and state governments to tackle issues relating to Nigerian children’s plight in a holistic way.
On the parents’ side, Mr Lawan urged them to play their own dutiful role in providing their children with the immediate needs, adding that the country’s future peace depended on it.
