The Nigerian Ministry of Women Affairs says it has collaborated with relevant stakeholders to establish Family Courts in 16 States of the Federation to ensure safety and protection of children, in commemoration of the 2022 Children’s Day Celebration.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, while addressing Journalists in a press conference to herald the children’s Day celebration, reiterated the need to protect Nigerian Children from all forms of violence and abuse.
She explained that her Ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders have developed policies and carried out series of programs to ensure safety and protection of children, some of which she enumerated as: “the establishment of Family Courts in 16 States of the Federation, reconstitution of the Technical Working Group on Case Management in Nigeria, launching and dissemination of the ‘State of the Nigerian Girl Report.’
Others are: ’the National Policy Dialogue on Ending Violence Against Children, resuscitating of the National Child Right Implementation Committee and Trainings, launching the BETA Version and Upgraded the National OVC Management Information Systems (NOMIS), and the launching of the Movement for Good to End Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria by 2030.
Mrs. Tallen also disclosed the theme of this year’s Children’s Day Celebration which is ‘Strengthening supportive systems for the protection of the Nigeria child; A wake up call,’ noting that the theme resonates with emerging issues and concerns that have affected the children’s well-being.
The Minister said: ”It is more worrisome in the recent increase of violence in schools where children are physically abused online and offline, allegedly perpetrated by their peers and teachers who are supposed to protect and shield them from violence.”
Mrs. Tallen however urged Nigerian parents as well as members of the Society to devote more time to supervise the activities of their children, thereby shunning negative activities including drugs and substance abuse, cultism.
