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| World
Children’s Day, organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in
collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry for Youths & Social
Development, in Lagos |
As nations commemorated World Children’s Day, UNICEF issued a clear message to Lagos lawmakers: children’s rights are non-negotiable, and promises must translate into action that children can feel in their daily lives.
At a Policy Dialogue and children’s art exhibition held in Lagos, Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, reminded leaders that every child begins each day with rights, not privileges, and warned that global support for those rights is weakening at a critical time.
She highlighted stark global projections: ongoing reductions in funding for child-focused interventions could expose an additional 4.5 million children to the risk of death by 2030 and force more than six million out of school by 2026. Already, over 200 million children worldwide require urgent humanitarian assistance.
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| Celine Lafoucriere: Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office |
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Despite this troubling global landscape, Lafoucriere stressed that Lagos has the capacity and track record to chart a different path. She commended the state’s leadership in national birth registration and noted that when Lagos commits to children, the impact is visible.
The children at the dialogue, drawn from schools across the state, presented artwork and shared experiences that reflected a common reality: many attend school hungry, learn in overcrowded classrooms without basic amenities, or face violence at home and in their communities. Others feel shut out of decisions that shape their futures. These, Lafoucriere said, are reminders that the day’s theme “My Day. My Rights.” represents lived realities, not simple slogans.
She urged the legislators present to move beyond sympathetic listening, insisting that the situations described by children “are not acceptable, not in our Lagos.”
She called for specific, time-bound commitments: rehabilitating dilapidated schools, expanding digital learning tools to underserved areas, strengthening primary healthcare, increasing enrollment in health insurance schemes, and creating formal platforms for children to participate in policymaking.
Lafoucriere emphasized that investing in children is not only morally right but economically strategic, yielding a future workforce that is healthier, better educated, and more productive, while reducing long-term poverty and insecurity.
She reaffirmed UNICEF’s readiness to support Lagos State in achieving these goals and ended with a challenge to the lawmakers: to leave the event with clear, actionable steps that children can see, touch, and benefit from.
“Leadership must be visible,” she said. “Let us show every child in Lagos that their rights matter, today and every day. Itesiwaju Eko.”
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| World Children’s Day, organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry for Youths & Social Development, in Lagos |
Responding,
Majority Leader Hon. Noheem Adams, representing the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru
Obasa, assured that the Assembly is committed to strengthening human capital
development through strategic investment in health and education.
He disclosed
that legislation establishing a standalone University of Medicine has been
passed, aimed at expanding the state’s healthcare workforce and improving access
to quality medical care.
“We are
expanding general hospitals and primary health centres across the state. But
infrastructure alone is not enough without qualified personnel. The University
of Medicine will enable Lagos to produce more skilled health professionals to
meet rising demand,” Adams said.
Concerning
education, Adams stated that Lagos is building more classrooms, including
digital learning spaces, while recruiting and training teachers to reduce class
sizes and enhance classroom effectiveness.
He admitted
concerns about out-of-school children and said the state is working with the
Ministry of Education to support children in street situations while protecting
their rights. Adams also stressed child safety, confirming the state’s resolve
to prevent abduction and security risks, pointing to past cases that prompted
stricter school surveillance. “You will see soldiers posted in sensitive areas
to protect children. Lagos remains the safest state in Nigeria, and we intend
to keep it that way,” he said.
Adams
advised children in Lagos to shun negative influences while taking advantage of
new opportunities, reaffirming that the Assembly will continue to prioritise
initiatives that promote child protection and welfare across the state.
