By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
Worried by the challenges beclouding Nigerian children, four globally recognized child-centered organizations with operations in Nigeria – SOS Children’s Villages, Save the Children, Plan International, and Terre des Hommes have united to establish the “Joining Forces for Children in Nigeria Coalition.”
The coalition which made this known on Wednesday in Abuja, said the initiative aims to address critical challenges faced by Nigerian children, ensuring their rights to safety, education, and participation are protected and promoted.
The coalition will work in alignment with government policies and programs, reinforcing efforts to safeguard and empower the nation’s youngest citizens and future generation.
Also, Nigeria has one of the largest child populations globally, according to UNICEF report, with over 40% of its population under the age of 15.
Tragically, an estimated 18.5 million children are out of school, representing one of the highest figures worldwide.
Nigeria also bears the second-highest burden of stunted children globally, with a staggering 32% of children under five suffering from malnutrition due to inadequate healthcare and food insecurity.
The Joining Forces for Children Coalition said it is committed to tackling these pressing issues through a coordinated and collaborative approach.
“This underscores the coalition’s shared dedication to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“By combining expertise, resources, and reach, these organizations will amplify efforts to combat violence against children, advocate for quality education, and empower young people to actively shape their futures.”
“This coalition is a testament to our collective belief that no child should be left behind. Together, we are stronger, and we will achieve transformative change for the future of Nigerian children,” said Eghosa Erhumwunse, Chair of the Joining Forces for Children in Nigeria Coalition and National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria.”
He said “It is often said that if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Today, we commit to going far and wide for the children of Nigeria by pooling our resources and expertise,” emphasing that “we can create a Nigeria where every child is safe, educated, and empowered to thrive.”
The coalition also said it will make tailored efforts to have more reach and deep rooted impact.
“We have formalized collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding, signed on the 21 of January 2025 ensuring quality representation and commitment from each member organization.
“Its strategic focus will cover critical areas including; Advocacy, driving policy changes to uphold children’s rights, Child Protection, eliminating of violence,
exploitation, and abuse, education, advancing in clusive and quality education for all children, participation, empowering children to actively engage in decisions affecting their lives and humanitarian response prioritizing children during crises and emergencies.”
