Kaduna Marks World Children’s Day as Report Expose Deepening Crisis for Nigerian Children
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Kaduna State joined the global community on Wednesday to mark World Children’s Day, but celebrations quickly gave way to sobering reflection as new data laid bare the worsening conditions faced by Nigerian children.
Government officials and the UN warned that millions of children are trapped in poverty, insecurity and deprivation, a situation they described as a national emergency demanding urgent action.
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Gerida Birukila, said children’s rights are “under attack like never before,” stressing that the latest findings are a wake-up call. The newly released Nigerian Child 2025 Report shows nearly half of Nigerian children live in income poverty, while almost 70 percent of households lack access to safe drinking water. Newborn mortality remains high at 41 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the maternal mortality rate stands at 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Among children under the age of five, stunting affects 40 percent, while wasting affects 8 percent. A staggering 90 percent have experienced some form of violence. School enrolment figures are equally troubling: an estimated 10.2 million primary school children and 8.1 million secondary school-aged children are out of school.
Foundational learning is in crisis, with 73 percent of children aged 7 to 14 unable to understand simple sentences, and 75 percent unable to solve basic mathematics problems.
Birukila described these figures as “children whose futures are being stolen in real time.” She also referenced the State of the World’s Children 2025 Report, which shows child poverty is a global emergency. The report reveals that about 417 million children in low- and middle-income countries face severe deprivation in core areas such as education, health, nutrition and sanitation.
Honourable Rabi Salisu, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, said the day must serve as a reminder that child protection “cannot be seasonal.” She urged stakeholders to translate reflection into responsibility and strengthen systems that allow every child to thrive.
Kaduna State’s Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, acknowledged the severity of the crisis but defended the state government’s interventions.
He highlighted that Kaduna has dedicated 25 percent of its 2025 budget and will do the same in the 2026 budget to education, which he described as “an unprecedented commitment driven by necessity.”
He added that through the Kaduna Peace Model, the state has reopened more than 500 public schools previously shut due to insecurity, thereby reintegrating over 300,000 children who once roamed the streets back into learning spaces.
He also emphasized that the government is improving classroom infrastructure, providing adequate toilet facilities for girls and strengthening security around schools.
The Commissioner also raised growing concerns about unethical media content involving children, especially on social media.
He announced a UNICEF-supported capacity-building programme that will soon train journalists, cameramen and content creators on child-sensitive reporting.
He noted that poorly handled visuals can violate children’s rights and cause irreversible harm.
Throughout the event, children delivered powerful presentations expressing their fears, rights and hopes. Their voices underscored the urgency of addressing the deep-rooted issues threatening their wellbeing: insecurity, poverty, poor learning outcomes, malnutrition, and inadequate access to essential services.
Birukila noted that “The evidence of what works already exists. What Nigeria needs now is the political will to implement these strategies at scale. Childhood cannot wait.”
As the world celebrates children, Kaduna’s commemoration served as a stark reminder that beneath the festivities lies a generation struggling for survival and waiting for decisive action.
