Child Rights Act Fails to Yield Desired Results in South-south Nigeria
Stakeholders in the South-south region of Nigeria have expressed disappointment over the poor implementation of the Child Rights Act, despite its domestication in various states.
The Child Rights Law, which aims to protect the rights and well-being of children, has failed to yield significant results, leaving the future of millions of children in the region uncertain.
In a recent survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stakeholders in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States revealed that the law has not been effectively enforced, allowing harmful socio-cultural practices to persist.
James Ibor, the principal counsel of Basic Rights Council Initiative in Cross River, described the implementation of the Child Rights Law as “poor and slow.”
According to Ibor, despite the state domesticating the Act in 2009 and amending it in 2023 into the Cross River Child Rights Law 2023, effective implementation remains a challenge.
The amended law explicitly criminalizes branding children as witches and stipulates punishment for offenders, but socio-cultural practices such as male child preference, child marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) continue to thrive.
Ibor attributed the poor implementation to a lack of collaboration among relevant authorities, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and community leaders.
He emphasized the need for a more coordinated approach to address the root causes of child rights violations and ensure that the law is enforced to protect the rights and well-being of children.
The stakeholders’ concerns are not limited to Cross River State, as similar challenges are being faced in other states in the South-south region. In Akwa Ibom and Rivers States, stakeholders reported that child rights violations, including child labor, child trafficking, and child abuse, are rampant, and the authorities are not doing enough to prevent them.
The failure to effectively implement the Child Rights Act has severe consequences for the children in the region.
Many are being denied their right to education, healthcare, and protection from harm, which can have long-term effects on their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.
To address these challenges, stakeholders are calling on the government, civil society organizations, and community leaders to work together to strengthen the implementation of the Child Rights Act.
This includes providing training and capacity-building programs for law enforcement agencies, judges, and other stakeholders to ensure that they are equipped to handle child rights cases effectively.
Additionally, stakeholders are advocating for increased awareness and sensitization campaigns to change socio-cultural attitudes and practices that perpetuate child rights violations.
They are also calling for the establishment of child protection units in communities to provide support and protection to children who are victims of abuse or exploitation.
Ultimately, the effective implementation of the Child Rights Act in the South-south region of Nigeria requires a collective effort from all stakeholders.
By working together, they can ensure that the law is enforced to protect the rights and well-being of children, and that the future of millions of children in the region is secured.
