By Khalid Idris Doya.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reaffirmed that child protection is a fundamental right that must be guaranteed for every child at all levels, family, community, and national.
Speaking at a one-day stakeholders’ roundtable and advocacy meeting on Child Rights covering Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe states, held at Emerald hotel, Gombe on Tuesday, the Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, emphasised that child rights begin from birth and must be protected throughout a child’s life.
She explained that the first and most basic right of every child is birth registration, which formally recognises a child’s existence.
According to her, this is followed by the right to survival, stressing that both mother and child deserve access to quality healthcare to ensure safe delivery and healthy development.
Dr. Rafique noted that maternal and infant mortality remain serious concerns in Nigeria, with many women and newborns dying during or shortly after childbirth.
She added that preventable diseases continue to claim the lives of thousands of children, making healthcare access and population planning critical.
Highlighting nutrition as another key right, she stressed the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, describing it as essential for building a child’s immunity and ensuring healthy growth.
She warned that malnutrition remains one of the leading causes of death among children under five in Nigeria, despite the country’s rich food resources.
“Every child has the right to adequate nutrition,” she said, adding that improving mothers’ knowledge of proper feeding practices using local foods is crucial in tackling malnutrition.
On child protection, Dr. Rafique raised serious concerns about increasing cases of abuse, including sexual violence against minors. She described such acts as grave violations of children’s rights, noting that many victims are too young to speak or defend themselves.
She emphasised that abuse has long-term psychological and physical effects on children and called for stronger referral systems and access to care for survivors.
Rafique also identified lack of education and awareness as major drivers of child rights violations. She argued that educating children today would help build responsible parents in the future and significantly reduce abuse cases.
“If every child is educated, tomorrow’s parents will be better equipped to protect their children,” she said.
She called on journalists, traditional rulers, government officials, and communities to play active roles in promoting child rights awareness and ensuring enforcement at all levels.
According to her, safeguarding children is a collective responsibility that goes beyond government efforts alone.
“Children are the most precious gift. Protecting them and ensuring their rights is a duty for everyone,” she said.
