World Children’s Day, observed on November 20, marks two historic UN milestones: 1959, the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and 1989, the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. In Nigeria, this day serves as a reminder that these universal rights must become lived realities for our children here at home.
Children’s Day is not about celebration alone; it is about recognition that every child’s voice matters, and every right must be protected. My day, my rights, is a reminder that children are not and should not be only actors in the decisions of adults but individuals with their own voices and minds.
My Rights, in the Nigerian context, is not just a theme but a legal and moral obligation. Nigeria ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and domesticated it through the Child Rights Act of 2003, which guarantees every child the right to education, health, protection, and participation. Yet, the realities around us show how far we still have to go; millions of Nigerian children remain out of school, many are forced into hawking and child labor instead of learning; malnutrition and preventable diseases continue to claim young lives; child marriage, trafficking, and abuse rob children of their innocence; and insecurity deprives them of safe spaces to play and grow. ‘My Day, My Rights’ is therefore a reminder that Nigerian children are not burdens or possessions, but individuals with voices and dreams, whose rights must be respected and fulfilled every single day.”
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Some of these basic rights include the Right to Education, Health, Protection, Participation, Play, and Leisure. Yet in Nigeria, these rights remain denied for millions of children. According to UNICEF, about 18.3 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, one of the highest figures globally, with many forced into hawking and child labor instead of learning in classrooms.
According to the World Food Programme, 5.4 million children in Nigeria are at risk of acute malnutrition in 2025, as hunger and preventable diseases continue to claim young lives. Reports from local media in November 2025 confirm that 25 female students were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, with their vice principal killed during the attack, a stark reminder of how insecurity robs children of their right to protection and education.
The tragic case of Ochanya Ogbanje, a 13-year-old girl from Benue who died in 2018 after prolonged sexual abuse, continues to symbolize the failure to protect children from exploitation and violence, with renewed calls for justice still echoing today. Rather than participating in decisions that shape their lives, the voices of the Nigerian children are often silenced in homes and communities. Rather than playing and experiencing leisure, poverty, displacement, and insecurity strip away their joy. And rather than being respected and heard, too many children are dismissed or treated as invisible in the very society meant to nurture them.
For every child, every right; today, tomorrow, and always. As the world marks International Children’s Day, Nigeria must see this not only as a global observance but as a call to action at home. The rights of our children belong not just to those in our families, but to every child in our streets, schools, and communities.
This day is a chance to spread joy and gratitude, but more importantly, to recommit to protecting Nigerian children from hunger, abuse, exploitation, and insecurity. Our children are not workers, not burdens, and not possessions; they are individuals with voices, dreams, and rights. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and it is our collective responsibility as parents, communities, and a nation to guide, respect, and nurture them in dignity and hope. Happy International Children’s Day!
