The Nigerian Bar Association and the United Nations Children’s Fund have launched a strategic partnership to provide free legal representation for vulnerable children across Nigeria.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja on Monday, is aimed at addressing child detention, weak referral systems and limited access to justice.
The partnership will mobilise lawyers nationwide to represent children affected by abuse, exploitation, trafficking and other violations, as well as those who come into conflict with the law.
Speaking at the launch, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the initiative would move child protection from broad commitments to a structured legal response.
Osigwe said vulnerable children must have access to lawyers whenever they come into contact with the justice system.
He said the absence of legal representation for children facing abuse, neglect, trafficking, child marriage, harmful traditional practices or criminal proceedings amounted to a collective failure.
“This is not simply an act of charity. It is an act of justice,” Osigwe said.
He urged NBA branches, law firms and individual lawyers to dedicate professional time and resources to child-related cases.
The NBA president said the partnership would strengthen referral systems between justice and child-protection institutions.
It will also build lawyers’ capacity to handle child-sensitive cases and promote a justice system centred on the best interests of children.
Osigwe further urged lawyers to intervene where children are unlawfully detained or denied due process.
He stressed that children should not be detained alongside adults but placed in age-appropriate facilities.
Osigwe said the partnership was valued at N140m, although the initiative was initially announced as N120m, and could attract additional funding from UNICEF if successfully implemented.
Representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Director of the Criminal Justice and Reforms Department, Federal Ministry of Justice, Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, said the government was strengthening the legal framework for child justice.
She said Nigeria had established foundations through the Child Rights Act 2003, Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and various state Child Rights Laws.
Ayoola-Daniels said “Justice for Children” had also been recognised as a distinct thematic area under the National Policy on Justice 2025.
She said the policy prioritised legal aid, diversion, restorative justice, child-friendly courts and an end to unnecessary detention of children.
However, she warned that laws and policies would have little impact unless implemented at police stations, courts, correctional facilities and within communities.
She disclosed that the ministry was deploying guidelines for prosecutors and legal practitioners handling children’s cases, with UNICEF support.
Ayoola-Daniels also said the Child Rights Act was undergoing a clause-by-clause review.
According to her, the proposed amendments will address emerging issues including digital safety, child marriage, legal representation, diversion and alternatives to detention.
UNICEF Representative, Wafaa Saeed, said no child should be denied justice because of a lack of legal representation.
Saeed said children across Nigeria still faced detention without lawyers, delays in case management, limited diversion opportunities and inadequate support services.
She described access to justice as a child-protection, development and human-dignity issue.
Saeed challenged the NBA to mobilise lawyers across its branches, saying even one pro bono child-justice case handled annually by each practising lawyer could significantly expand access to justice.
The partnership brings together the NBA, UNICEF, Federal Ministry of Justice, judiciary, law-enforcement agencies, correctional authorities, Legal Aid Council and civil society organisations.
The initiative is expected to strengthen early access to legal assistance while promoting diversion, rehabilitation and child-sensitive procedures across the justice system.
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