By Yahaya Audu, Bauchi
The United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has observed that violence against children in Nigeria have been prevalent across all he thirty six states of the federation.
This was disclosed by the Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Abdulai Kai Kai at a press briefing on the 2017 Children’s Day celebrations.
“According to the findings of the 2014 Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey conducted by the National Population Commission with the support of the United States Center for Disease Control and Unicef, there is a high prevalence of violence against children in all the states in Nigeria,”he stated.
He explained it has been observed that approximately six out of 10 children experience some form of violence and 50 percent of all children in Nigeria experience physical violence.
He added that the survey also noted that one in four girls and one in 10 boys experienced sexual violence while one in six girls and one in five boys experience emotional violence by a parent, caregiver or adult relative.
“So, on the occasion of this year’s Nigerian Children’s Day, all must take action to end violence against children! As violence against children is found to be prevalent in all the states in Nigeria. I particularly call on the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Plateau and Taraba States which are supported by the Unicef Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office to take action to end violence against children,”he added.
Kai Kai however lamented that out of the six states under the Unicef Bauchi Field Office, only Plateau and Taraba states adopted Child Rights Laws despite the passage of the Nigeria Child Rights Act by the Nigerian National Assembly in 2003.
The Bauchi head of Unicef Field Office advised Plateau and Taraba states to implement the Child Right Laws which they have adopted.
“Having the laws in place is important but without implementing them, the rights of children will still not be protected,”he observed.
He further informed that the Unicef Bauchi Field Office supported Plateau state government to launch the campaign to end violence against children in 2016.
“Unicef is currently working with Gombe State government to launch the end violence against children campaign in Gombe State and 7th June 2017 has been scheduled for that launch which will be performed by the governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo,”he added.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Day Celebration is “Child Protection and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Issues and Opportunities”.
