As Nigeria marked Children’s Day 2025, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed deep concern over the condition of children in the North-East, highlighting alarming gaps in education, healthcare, and protection.
Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Joseph Senesie, Chief of the UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office, revealed that 72 per cent of pupils who complete primary school in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are unable to read introductory text.
He described the situation as deeply troubling, warning that millions of children across the region continue to be denied access to their most fundamental rights. According to him, an estimated two million children remain out of school. At the same time, 12 local government areas in Borno and Yobe report high numbers of unvaccinated children, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Senesie called attention to the broader crisis facing children in Nigeria’s conflict-affected region, describing them as the country’s “most neglected yet most invaluable resource.”
“Our children remain Nigeria’s greatest treasure,” he said. “Yet the vast majority are still without legal identity, education, healthcare, and protection.”
He noted that the theme for this year’s celebration — Tapping the Untapped Natural Treasure — serves as a call to action, urging all stakeholders to prioritise children’s rights. “Our children are our future, yet far too many remain invisible, unprotected, and underserved,” he added.
Only three in ten children in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa have had their births officially registered, Senesie said, excluding them from essential services such as education, healthcare, and social protection.
“Are we truly unlocking the potential of our children — our untapped treasures?” he asked. “Or are we allowing systemic neglect to rob them of their future?”
Despite these challenges, he acknowledged some progress, citing state-level efforts such as the implementation of the Child Protection Law, the declaration of open defecation-free status in five local government areas, and Borno State’s contribution of N100 million to the Child Nutrition Fund. He also commended the establishment of 27 Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition.
“These are commendable milestones that reflect leadership and political will,” he said. “But we must not rest. The work is far from over.”
Senesie urged government officials, civil society organisations, and development partners to intensify efforts to address gaps in nutrition, immunisation, sanitation, education, and child protection.
Reaffirming UNICEF’s commitment, he disclosed that in 2024, nearly 600,000 children in the region were treated for severe acute malnutrition, 2.48 million under-five children received vitamin A supplements, and 1.2 million were immunised with the pentavalent vaccine.
He also expressed appreciation to UNICEF’s international partners — including BMZ (Germany), the UK’s FCDO, SIDA, the EU, Norway, Canada, GPE, and ECW — for their continued support.
Senesie concluded by calling on the media to amplify children’s voices, urging journalists to see themselves as “not just observers, but advocates, guardians, and change agents.”
Leave feedback about this