The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Nigerian Government following the rescue of 39 abducted pupils and five teachers in Oyo State.
The victims were abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
They regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity through a coordinated, intelligence-led operation conducted by Nigerian security agencies under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell led the organisation’s delegation during a courtesy visit to the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, at the State House on Thursday.
Other members of the delegation included UNICEF Country Representative Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, Chief of Staff Ted Mary, Senior Communications Adviser Marlene Jensen and Executive Specialist Nabila Jamshed.
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Russell praised the government’s commitment to women and children, describing investment in their welfare as essential to Nigeria’s future prosperity and long-term national development.
“I think investing in women and children is an investment into the future of the nation,” Russell said.
She thanked the government for rescuing children from conflict situations and reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Nigeria through continued humanitarian and development partnerships.
“UNICEF is glad to stay part of the team, helping as much as possible. We thank the leadership for rescuing children in conflict.”
Russell described conflict as one of the gravest threats facing children globally, exposing them to displacement, violence, abduction and severe psychological trauma.
“Children need to be protected in these situations,” Russel said.
She stressed the importance of making schools safe through community-based interventions, saying the First Lady’s leadership remained vital to strengthening child protection efforts nationwide.
Russell added that UNICEF continued to support family tracing and reintegration programmes, helping rescued children reunite safely with their families after traumatic experiences.
The organisation also commended Mrs Tinubu for championing the registration of 14 million Nigerian children within two years through sustained birth registration campaigns.
UNICEF attributed the achievement partly to advocacy under the Renewed Hope Initiative, which accelerated birth registration across communities and strengthened children’s legal identity nationwide.
“Birth registration is one of the most important because children are part of our priority to guarantee a great future,” Russell said.
UNICEF announced in February that officially registered births increased to 14 million between 2023 and 2026 across Nigeria.
The National Population Commission also confirmed it had expanded registration centres nationwide to ensure every Nigerian child receives a recognised legal identity from birth.
Russell further acknowledged the First Lady’s advocacy against female genital mutilation and child marriage, describing both practices as harmful to millions of vulnerable girls.
Responding, the first lady expressed delight at the children’s rescue and appreciated UNICEF’s continued solidarity with Nigeria during a period marked by insecurity.
“We are used to UNICEF partnering with our office through advocacy because the work of the First Lady is complementary and supportive.”
The First Lady explained that her office complemented government ministries without interfering in policy formulation, despite her previous experience as a legislator.
“My job now is quite different. I work cautiously with ministries, ready to collaborate and make productive suggestions.”
Tinubu agreed that investing in children remained fundamental to sustainable national development, regardless of a country’s economic strength or natural resources.
“When children are not well invested in, no matter how wealthy a country is, it cannot make substantial growth,” the First Lady said.
She said her background in education reinforced her conviction that every child deserved quality education and opportunities to achieve their full potential.
The First Lady acknowledged that insecurity continued to drain national resources, reducing funds available for development and social investment across the country.
“Security is really bleeding those resources. In spite of that, we can still put policies in place that can help.”
Tinubu also identified the growing number of out-of-school children, particularly Almajiri children in northern Nigeria, as another pressing national concern requiring urgent intervention.
She said the government was working to ensure such children received formal education alongside adequate care, enabling them to build better futures and contribute meaningfully to society.
NAN
