60% of Nigerian Children ‎Under 18years Suffers Violence – UNICEF 

60% of Nigerian Children ‎Under 18years Suffers Violence – UNICEF 

By ALEX UANGBAOJE

Worried over the culture of silence around violence against children in Nigeria, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ‎has come up with the real facts of the level of violence melted on Nigerian children. 

UNICEF said approximately 6 out of every 10 Nigerian children under the age of 18 years suffer some form of physical, emotional or sexual violence which is about sixty percent (60%).

‎In a statement to commemorate the Universal Children’s Day in Nigeria with the theme “Why fair matters‎” made available to newsmen in Kaduna by Rabiu Musa, Media and External Relations Officer, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office laments that “There is a culture of silence around violence against children,” 

image

The statement explains that, “‎a study conducted by the National Population Commission, with support from UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that  The Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey found that one in two children experience physical violence; one in four girls and one in ten boys experience sexual violence; and one in six girls and one in five boys experience emotional violence.‎”

It further stated that the survey was prompted by the formal launch of the ‘Year of Action to End Violence Against Children in Nigeria’ by President Muhammadu Buhari on September 15, adding that “UNICEF is also highlighting the need to address the high rates of violence that millions of children in Nigeria are suffering.‎”

Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, was also quoted in the statement as saying “For many reasons, most children never speak up about it, and they don’t know where to go for help. 

“The Government of Nigeria, UNICEF, the CDC, USAID and other partners in the ‘Year of Action to End Violence Against Children’ are aiming to break that silence. Violence against children is never, ever acceptable.”
 ‎
The statement according to UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, also said ‎”
the world remains a deeply unfair place for the poorest and most disadvantaged children despite major advances since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, according to a UNICEF report released today.
 
“In just over a generation, the world has cut child death rates by half, put over 90 per cent of children in primary school, and increased by 2.6 billion the number of people with access to safe water. 
 
“Yet children make up almost half of the world’s poor, nearly 250 million children live in conflict-torn countries, and over 200,000 have risked their lives this year seeking refuge in Europe.”

‎It further explained that “Children from the poorest households are nearly twice as likely as those from the richest households to die before age five, and five times more likely to be out of school.

” Girls from the poorest families are four times more likely as those from the richest families to be married before 18.

“More than 2.4 billion people still do not have adequate toilets – 40 per cent of them in South Asia; and more than 660 million still lack access to safe drinking water – nearly half of them in sub-Saharan Africa.”

“An impressive team of UNICEF Ambassadors are raising their voices or activating their social media networks to help spur action for the world’s most vulnerable children as part of UNICEF’s Fight against Unfair campaign.‎”

Newsweb

At Newsweb Express we don't only break the news, we are committed to investigative and developmental journalism

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *