Abuja: The National Children's Parliament has called on key stakeholders to foster a Nigeria where no child experiences violence, forced labor, or exclusion. This appeal was made by the Speaker of the Parliament, Progress Umoh, during the 2025 National Children's Day celebration held in Abuja on Tuesday. Umoh emphasized the desire for a nation where every child can learn, dream, and reach their full potential.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Umoh highlighted the grim reality that many children face violence, fear, and exclusion in environments meant to nurture them, stressing that children demand more than mere promises. She invoked Nelson Mandela's words, noting that a society's soul is measured by how it treats its children, and urged for honoring this truth through decisive action. As the speaker of the National Children's Parliament, Umoh stated her role as a voice for millions of children whose rights and futures rely on meaningful action.
She explained that the Children's Parliament serves as an essential platform where young voices come together to address critical issues, propose solutions, and drive change. Umoh emphasized that children deserve a place in shaping policies that affect them and underscored the theme of the global observance, "Stand Up, Speak Up: Building a Bullying-Free Generation," as an urgent call to action. She called for the full implementation of the National Policy on Safe Schools to ensure every child learns in a safe environment without fear and stressed the importance of strengthening child rights advocacy clubs in rural and underserved areas to empower young leaders to speak up.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, reaffirmed his administration's commitment to protecting the rights, dreams, and future of every Nigerian child. Wike, also represented by the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described children as the "precious part of the nation's fabric" and the heartbeat of Nigeria's future. Tinubu reaffirmed the constitutional, moral, and intergenerational duty to safeguard every Nigerian child, protect their rights, and nurture their dreams.
Similarly, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stated that Children's Day serves as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to uphold every child's right to survive, thrive, and fulfill their potential. She noted that the day also presents a time to reflect and renew dedication to the rights, protection, and wellbeing of every Nigerian child. Sulaiman-Ibrahim added that the Federal Government would strengthen the Nigeria Children's Parliament to institutionalize child participation in governance and is developing a framework for a National Child Protection and Development Agency.
Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, the Pioneer Mandate Secretary of FCT Women Affairs, emphasized the significance of children in the family and society, stating that they are a great asset, representing hope, continuity, vision, and the future of Nigeria. She urged students in the FCT to rise against bullying and use their energy for academic resourcefulness to shape a better tomorrow.