By Winifred Bosa
As the world marks World Children’s Day 2025, UNICEF Nigeria is calling for renewed commitment to Nigeria’s youngest citizens, noting that while major challenges persist, significant progress has also been made to improve children’s lives.
According to the “Nigerian Child 2025 Report”, two out of every three children in Nigeria live in multidimensional poverty, meaning they lack access to essentials such as healthcare, quality education, nutrition, protection, and clean water.
The report also shows that more than half of all Nigerian children experience some form of violence before age 18, while two in five girls are married before turning 18.
The report also highlights strong progress in several areas. Over the past five years, Nigeria has expanded routine immunization coverage, launched nationwide campaigns to end child marriage, improved access to clean water for more than five million people, and enrolled more children in school than at any time in the last decade.
Led by government, and with generous support from development partners, UNICEF contributed to innovative social protection programmes, community-based nutrition drives, and media campaigns that continue to shift public attitudes on child rights.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, said that while the statistics are sobering, they also reveal that progress is possible with coordinated effort.
“Behind every percentage lies a child whose potential is being stolen by poverty or neglect. But we are also seeing change, millions of children are getting vaccinated, millions are back in school, and more families are accessing clean water and social protection. These are victories worth celebrating,” she said.
Ms. Saeed added that this moment demands unity of purpose.
“It is time for all of us, government, development partners, donors, the private sector, and communities, to come together and put the Nigerian child at the top of every agenda. They are not just our responsibility, they are our future,” she emphasized.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s journey, Ms. Saeed noted that the country’s vast potential lies in its youth.
“With nearly half of Nigeria’s population under 18, the choices we make today will define the nation’s future. Every investment in children is an investment in peace, productivity, and progress,” she said.
World Children’s Day, celebrated each year on 20 November, marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. The day serves as a global reminder of the need to protect, nurture, and empower every child to reach their full potential.
