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| Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office |
UNICEF has urged governments to place the Nigerian children at the centre of national priorities by investing in their protection and well-being, emphasising that such investment is not a luxury but a fulfillment of fundamental human rights.
Making the call on Tuesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also highlighted the urgent need for targeted fiscal planning that directly addresses the basic needs of vulnerable populations to give them a more secure future.
The call was made during a media dialogue on public spending for children’s rights, organised in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Planning and Budget to mark the 2025 Day of the African Child. The event spotlighted the urgency of ensuring that children are not just included in government financial plans, but that such inclusion is meaningful, measurable, and transformative.
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| Muhammad Okorie, UNICEF’s Programme and Social Policy Manager |
Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office for Southwest Nigeria, sounded the alarm about a persistent gap between budget allocations and actual benefits received by children across the country. According to her, while there are budgets for child-focused initiatives, the real issue is whether the resources reach the right children and whether their fundamental needs are truly being met.
“Budgeting for children shouldn’t be treated as a separate exercise,” Lafoucriere said. “It should be embedded in the core planning for Nigeria’s population, guided by concrete data on where the most vulnerable children are, and what their needs are in terms of clean water, education, healthcare, nutrition and protection.”
She revealed ongoing collaboration between UNICEF and the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning to establish a dedicated budget code system. This framework enables the tracking of every naira spent on child-related programmes—an effort to boost transparency, strengthen accountability, and make budgeting outcomes more visible.
However, Lafoucriere warned that financial commitments must be matched by implementation. “Once the budget is attributed, it must be spent. Lagos and UNICEF are working together on this, but we all know it’s not sufficient,” she stated.
Despite Nigeria's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child more than three decades ago, indicators such as child malnutrition, school dropouts, and abuse remain high—especially in the Southwest. Lafoucriere pointed to these concerning trends as evidence of an implementation gap that must be urgently addressed.
“In a place like Lagos, education is still largely self-funded by schools and families,” she observed. “Where is the investment in protecting children, in giving them a fair start in life? These are not luxuries, these are human rights.”
She further challenged media professionals and civil society organisations to keep governments accountable and push for consistent, rights-based advocacy.
“The Lagos State Government has a social contract not only with its adult population but with every child. We must remind them of that duty. If children and youth are not prioritised today, then the Lagos of tomorrow is at risk,” Lafoucriere asserted.
Also speaking at the forum, Muhammad Okorie, UNICEF’s Programme and Social Policy Manager, shared insights on the widespread disconnect between budget intentions and actual spending. He noted that while every Nigerian state allocates funding for children, the effectiveness of implementation varies greatly.
“Every state in Nigeria budgets for children in one form or another,” Okorie said. “But the issue is not just about allocation, it’s about actual spending, equitable distribution, and evidence-based decision-making. Many states may meet or exceed budget benchmarks on paper, but the real test is in what gets implemented and how it impacts children.”
Okorie commended the growing policy alignment across Nigerian states but emphasised that intentions alone won’t bring change.
“For a government to be judged serious about child rights, it must reflect in how it budgets and spends,” he added. “Until all the rights of all children are fulfilled, we cannot rest. The principle is simple: leave no child behind.”
He underscored the value of inclusive budgeting that factors in both data and the lived experiences of young people. “Children know what they need. When you involve them in decisions, it leads to better outcomes and greater accountability,” Okorie noted.
As part of his concluding remarks, Okorie called for strengthened monitoring frameworks and year-round civic oversight of budget execution. “We shouldn’t wait until the end of the year to ask what was done. From day one, the media, civil society, and the public must track projects, follow the money, and report what they see. Budgeting is not just about money, it’s about the lives of real children, and every naira must speak.”
Olayinka Ojo, the Lagos State’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget,—represented by Olufemi Abiodun Orojimi, Director noted the state’s increasing investment in children over the years.
Orojimi said, “The Lagos State Government recognises that investment in children is an economic driver. It remains committed to increasing budgetary allocations and actual expenditures that promote the survival, development, protection, and participation of every child.”
He noted that early childhood development remains a key focus of the state’s development strategy, acknowledging UNICEF’s support in strengthening data systems and budget transparency.
The media was urged to amplify child-focused issues, investigate budget implementation, and spotlight areas of underinvestment—particularly in sectors such as education, health, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), and child protection.
The session concluded with a collective call to action: for all stakeholders to ensure every Naira spent truly reaches the Nigerian child.
