Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has said that protecting children is more than a policy directive rather, it is a moral obligation.
Speaking at the Launch of the Community Children’s Fund, with the theme, Advancing Africa’s Agenda For Children 2040: Protecting Street Connected Children in West Africa held at SAOS University of London, recently, She emphasized the urgent need for collective action to tackle the alarming rise of child vulnerability, particularly among street-connected children in Nigeria and across the West African region.
She highlighted harrowing statistics that illustrate the precarious conditions millions of children face, including violence, displacement, child labour, malnutrition, and a lack of access to education.
“I stand before you not just as a Minister but as a mother who understands the deep responsibility of protecting and nurturing our children. The plight of vulnerable children across Africa is not just a policy concern but a moral obligation that demands immediate and sustained action,” she stated.
The minister opined that for progress to be made, three key issues has to be tackled. Issues such as; Strengthening policy frameworks to enforce child rights and protection laws across African nations; Scaling up socio-economic investments in education, healthcare, and family empowerment; Eliminating harmful practices such as child marriage and gender-based violence; Ensuring community ownership of child welfare initiatives”.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim further called for coordinated efforts to safeguard the future of African children, warning that neglect and systemic failures would only deepen existing cycles of poverty and inequality.
She underscored Nigeria’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, highlighting key national pledges such as: Supporting two million children at risk of violence by 2030; Enforcing a ban on corporal punishment in schools by 2028; Establishing a National Child Protection and Wellbeing Index by 2025; Investing ₦112.18 billion in the National Plan for Financing Safe Schools from 2024-2026.
She urged the global community to step up funding for child-centred programs, lamenting that less than 2% of humanitarian and development budgets currently go toward child protection initiatives.
“The time for action is now. We have talked enough—now, we must act. We must move beyond short-term fixes and commit to long-term, transformational solutions to secure a better future for Africa’s children,” she stated.
The launch of the Community Children’s Fund marks a major milestone in Africa’s journey toward fulfilling the African Union’s Agenda 2040 for Children’s Rights and Well-being, ensuring that every African child is protected, empowered, and allowed to thrive.
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