The Nigerian child: Living with hope and little else

Another Children’s Day has just been celebrated in Nigeria. Countries world over celebrate the day on different days and it is a day set aside to appraise the life of the child. Thus in Nigeria, of what value is the child to Nigerians and their government? Should the Children’s Day in Nigeria be a day of celebration or commiseration? Is the government doing enough for the child to warrant a celebration?

Yearly, Government budgets substantial amounts to tackle educational inadequacies in the interest of the child and other Nigerians. In its bid to eradicate illiteracy and lay a solid foundation for qualitative education through reading culture, the Federal Government launched the “Bring Back the Book” campaign last year in Lagos. Sadly though, the plan has not really taken off effectively nationwide as it is only concentrated in Abuja; for now.

Speaking through Vice President Namadi Sambo at the formal launching ceremony, Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan said the campaign was initiated against the background of the Federal Government’s commitment to sound and qualitative education based on genuine thirst for knowledge.  “This reality underscores why all of us must act in concert to bring back the book not only in the schools but the Nigerian society at large,” he said. The “Bring Back the Book” campaign is a deliberate policy designed to redress the pitfalls that have been adversely affecting the quality of education in the country for over 30 years.

Many ask what difference the book campaign will have as many kids do not even have access to a book not to talk of bringing it back. A pundit posits the programme is meant to serve the children of the well to do of our society who live in Abuja. Because, he claims, “Now, frustrated by their children’s deep affair with the facebook, they have decided to bring back the book. After spoiling their children with iPods, iPads, iPhones that have already turned them away from their books, they decided to launch bring back the book. Indeed, this programme cannot be said to be initiated for the benefit of the common man’s child who has not seen the book in the first place talk little of bringing it back! And for the common man’s children lucky enough to have seen it, they definitely have not lost it because they do not have access to facebook or the internet games to distract them.”

Another interesting programme of intervention reeled  out by government is‘ The Child’s Right Act’ which was endorsed in 2003 seeking to protect and regulate the rights of the Nigerian child as enshrined in the 1999 constitution and other subsidiary legislations.

There were varieties of laws regulating the rights of children before 2003, such as; The 1999 Constitution, Chapter IV; The Children and Young Persons Law; The Criminal Code Laws in the South and the Penal Code in the North; Adoption of Children Laws in some Southern States and Abuja; Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003, amongst others.

The Child Right Act provides for the best interest of the child and enjoins stakeholders to make this paramount in all matters concerning the child; it further imposes responsibilities on parents, guardians, institutions to make provision for the welfare of the child.

The Act had balanced the pendulum of rights and also placed some duties and responsibilities on the family, community and nation to work for the cohesion of the family unit with the aim of serving the country well in future while respecting democratic ideals. For the purpose of evaluation therefore, how far has the Nigerian child’s life changed with the enactment of the law?

As protective as the Act is, it is sad to know that it is yet to put an end to the many sufferings of the Nigerian child as evidenced on the streets. One could observe that children still suffer abuses which range from street hawking, child labour, maltreatments while serving as house helps, trafficking, and dropping out of school among others. These anomalies portray the Act as a barking dog that cannot bite.

It has been said that our laws are perfect but the operators are very weak. If the operators could rise up to the challenge, imbibing the spirit of selflessness and exhibiting true love for the nation, then our children would enjoy all their fundamental rights as provided for by the Child Right Act.

Coming to health, statistics from the ministry of health confirm that no fewer than 90,000 children die yearly from malaria, pneumonia, polio, HIV and measles which have all become a threat to child survival in Nigeria.

At the core of the high rates of child mortality are high levels of malnutrition, unhealthy environments and limited access to quality health care services. The weakness of the country’s primary health care system has continued to pose as a major challenge to child’s health in Nigeria.

In view of the above therefore, is Nigeria’s Day worth celebrating in the style it is being celebrated today? What the Nigerian child demands today is not a one day Gala event to dance and cut anniversary cakes with the First Lady or go on a jolly ride on trains with the state governor’s wife.

How to help the Nigerian child is not to stretch out a presidential handshake on every 27th of May and the next morning, the child is back to holding classes under the tree with pleasant memories of how he or she danced with the governors’ or ministers’ children. In truth, even such classes under the trees are luxuries to some of our children.

Time is indeed ripe for Nigerian government to really commit itself to the wellbeing of the child. There is no better time than now for Nigerians to grow out of the colonial mentality of celebrating Children’s Day with children’s march pass  under the scotching sun or rain; especially with the backlash of activities of vagrant children venting their frustration with the flimsiest opportunity. It is time to initiate our own home grown approach towards uplifting the life of the child as a way of celebrating the day. For instance, a dignitary could set aside Children’s Day to kick off a programme for the improvement of children in his community.  One could for instance, choose that day to start revamping a school, do all the necessary ground work to enroll and encourage children into the school and by the next year, see how many children have benefitted. And when the next anniversary returns, use the occasion to evaluate the initiative and start off another etc.

Perhaps government has not really fathomed the consequences of leaving its children to the hands of fate. Only this week, newspaper headlines carried the obscene amount of N99 billion earmarked for Niger Delta militancy rehabilitation programme in 2011 budget. Half of this amount if judiciously spent to discharge its responsibility to the innocent child would curtail chances of hundreds more turning militants in future. While government budgets such large amount for the amnesty programme, it should remember that these militants were once neglected and aggrieved children who have now turned adult rebels. Now, how does government intend to go about preventing its present young ones from turning rascals in future?

The beggarly children scavenging refuse dumps to carve a survival for themselves have a right over the resources our leaders sit fat on. It is not the choice of this innocent children or preference to lead miserable lives if at all they will be provided social support to uplift their standard of living. The same blood that run through the veins of a minister’s child runs in the body of the boy roaming the street, bowl in hand searching for a morsel to kill his hunger. While these officials design viable programmes of development of the child on paper, Nigerians actually see it happen in the lives of children of government dignitaries and their ilk and even spoil them with splendour while ours wallow in squalor. What is good for the goose is good for the gander if government is to be sincere about plight of the Nigerian child.