NESG, UNICEF partner to address child rights violations, poverty in Nigeria

By Blessing Bature, Abuja

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in partnership with UNICEF has on Thursday sign memorandum of understanding to establish a partnership aimed at addressing child rights violations and poverty in Nigeria.

The partnership which was launched on Thursday in Abuja focused on aligning the nation’s poverty reduction strategy with the child and national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), reviewing social sector policies to reduce child poverty, and implementing presidential-level accountability measures for reporting and feedback on child rights and poverty in Nigeria.

Speaking, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Niyi Yusuf, said the country need to tackle the challenges of the Nigerian child to enable a better tomorrow.

According to him, today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, and it is crucial that we tackle child rights violations and poverty in Nigeria to ensure their success.

“to the National MPI 2022, two-thirds of our children are multi-dimensionally poor, with 51% of all poor people being children. This means over half of poor children lack the intellectual stimulation necessary for early childhood development.

“Our partnership with UNICEF is both timely and significant. UNICEF is a leading provider of humanitarian and developmental aid for children worldwide, and this launch represents a critical step towards a future where children’s rights are respected, and they receive the support they need to become productive citizens,” he said.

In the same vein, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, said UNICEF’s goal is to protect the rights Of children saying that the partnership with NESG highlights the urgency of realizing this goal.

“UNICEF is dedicated to protecting children’s rights in Nigeria and worldwide, and helping them build a strong foundation for their future.

“Our partnership with NESG highlights the urgency of realizing this goal and will efforts to achieve child rights protection in Nigeria through effective public policies.

“Investing in children is investing in human capital. The right nutrition and care, especially during the first 1000 days of life, can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty.

“ It can break the cycle of poverty for families, communities, and countries, and shape a society’s long-term stability and prosperity,” she said.