By: Femi Mustapha
Today, November 20th, 2025, marks World Children’s Day, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about children’s rights and commemorating the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Kaduna, Nigeria, children and stakeholders gathered to celebrate this day and highlight the challenges that Nigerian children face.
Dr. Gerida Birukila, the Chief of Office for UNICEF Kaduna, shared key insights from the Nigerian Child 2025 Report, which was recently launched by UNICEF Nigeria. The report depicts a troubling reality for Nigerian children: nearly one in two lives in income poverty, and almost 70% of households do not have access to safe drinking water.
The report also states that the newborn mortality rate is 41 per 1,000 live births, while the maternal mortality rate is 1,047 per 100,000 live births. Among children under five, 40% are stunted, 8% are wasted, and an alarming 90% have experienced some form of violence. Furthermore, there are approximately 10.2 million children of primary school age and 8.1 million children of secondary school age who are not in school. Disturbingly, 73% of children aged 7 to 14 cannot comprehend simple sentences, and 75% are unable to solve fundamental math problems.
With 46% of Nigerians under 18 years old, there is an urgent need for child-centered policies that address their demands for safety, education, and health. The 2025 State of the World Children’s Report, also launched today, emphasizes that child poverty is a global concern, with around 417 million children in low- and middle-income countries facing severe deprivation in two or more areas: education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, or access to clean water.
The reports highlight that poverty negatively affects childhood and communities, depriving them of hope and creating conditions that foster violence and extremism. However, addressing child poverty is a policy choice, and there is clear evidence of practical strategies that can be implemented. What is needed now is a sustained commitment to applying these proven methods.
As Nigeria celebrates World Children’s Day, stakeholders are urged to transform reflection into action by working towards creating systems that ensure children’s safety, health, education, and empowerment. The voices of Nigerian children must be heard, and their rights must be protected. It is time for decisive leadership and ongoing commitment to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to the essentials needed to survive and thrive.
