The National Human Rights Commission has called on the 15 states that had yet to adopt the Child Rights Act to do so.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, made the call in a statement in Abuja.
He commended the 21 states in Nigeria that have adopted the law, and urged them to ensure that the provisions of the law are fully implemented.
Ojukwu noted that children deserve special attention and protection in order for them to fruitfully pass through the various stages of survival and development.
He said: “It has become imperative for states that are yet to adopt the Child’s Rights Law to do so to avoid further violations of the rights of these vulnerable children.
“In Nigeria, the issue of out-of-school children, child labour, poor antenatal and postnatal care, child wandering, child abandonment, child denial of necessaries, Almajiri children syndrome, kidnapping, malnutrition etc. are still prevalent.
“These, therefore, pose serious challenge to proper development of the child, especially in states where the Child’s rights law is not in place.”
Ojukwu stated that the impact of COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the level of vulnerability of children in most parts of the world, including Nigeria where a lot of children could not continue with their education.
“Giving priority to the rights and welfare of the child will go a long way to curtail the rising insecurity in the country.
“When the rights of children are neglected, they may grow up bearing grudges against the society and will likely be willing tools in the hands of mischief makers and enemies of the state,” he said.
He said the commission has championed various campaigns and interventions in support of the child’s rights across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Fifteen states that are yet to adopt the Child’s Rights Act are Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.