11 States yet to domesticate Child Rights Act in Nigeria

The Nigerian Government has confirmed that eleven states out of the 36 are yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act which was passed into law in 2003; however, there is optimism that, before the end of 2020, all states would have domesticated the Act.

Penpushing reports that, the  Minister of Women  Affairs, Pauline Tallen disclosed this  at a public hearing in Abuja organised by the Senate Committee on Women Affairs on two bills: “Older Persons’ Rights and Privileges Bill 2020 and The Child Rights Act, 2003 Amendment Bill 2020”.

“Since her assumption into office, she has been working round the clock, reaching out to governors and members of the Houses of Assembly in the various states to ensure that the Act is domesticated in the states”,Tallen said

“But the good news is that we are making some progress. Out of the 36 states we now have 25 states that have domesticated the Act.I’m still not too happy that we still have 11 states that are yet to domesticate the Act’, she added.

“However, I’m reaching out. I just returned from an advocacy tour of some of the states and I’m still moving on until I cover the 11 states. I have just returned from Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe’.

‘The three States I have visited since after the COVID-19 and they have reassured me because I addressed the Houses of Assembly of the three states and had public hearing with stakeholders”, she explained

Penpushing further reports that, the minister  described the two bills as life saving bills particularly the Child Rights Act “bearing in mind the events that were unfolding in the country as a result of rape and gender-based violence particularly as it affected minors and innocent children who are vulnerable members of the society.”

“The old persons are not left out of it and it is heart breaking that this vulnerable class has been so badly abused by evil men in our society. A former Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District called for the liberation of the child from all forms of abuse.

“COVID-19 has opened our eyes to a lot of things especially on the vulnerable children, the girl-children. I have said it that the girl-child is instrumental to the development of Nigeria. When you train a child, a girl-child, you are not only training a child, you are training a generation.”