Following the activities of escalating humanitarian challenges in Nigeria, the North in particular ranging from protracted conflicts in the North-East, mass displacement, food insecurity, socio-economic inequalities, and natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, the need for investment in children expert says is rife.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that these challenges are not just numbers on a report; they represent the lives of millions of Nigerian children. With 5.7 million children directly impacted by conflict, 1.5 million in desperate need of humanitarian assistance due to flooding, and 75,000 children losing their lives to flood-related disasters in 2022 alone, the situation is depleting.
Also, Nigeria now has the highest number of undernourished children in Africa—17 million—and 20 million children are out of school. These statistics reveal a harsh reality: without a united and immediate response, millions of Nigeria’s children will continue to face insurmountable hardships.
Our correspondent reports that this year’s World Humanitarian Day, has the theme #ActForHumanity, was commemorated on 19th August, 2024.
Speaking, Deputy Speaker, Children and Youth Council Abuja, Favour Atulegwu, said Children in Nigeria have benefited from the government and other organisations but the root cause of these humanitarian issues on children is still not addressed. There is a lot of child labour, lack of education, poor health care and this is because of extreme poverty. The cycle must stop, encourage family strengthening through entrepreneurship to elevate communities from poverty, massive education for children especially the girls and quality health care.
Also speaking, National Director, SOS Children’s Villages in Nigeria Eghosa Erhumwunse said World Humanitarian Day is a reflection of how far humanitarians and the large body of International and local organisations have come and their contributions in the changing dynamics of Nigeria.
Erhumwunse said, “However, the impact of humanitarian efforts remains limited in the face of constant and growing challenges. Every one of us has a role to play in confronting this crisis.
“We need to ramp up investments in child-centered programmes, hold ourselves accountable through transparency, strengthen government and NGO partnerships, and engage local communities, training local humanitarian workers are necessary steps to enhance response capabilities, sustainable solutions that promote community resilience and economic development, and strengthening frameworks to assess the impact of interventions and inform future programming. Only by doing so can we effectively enhance our humanitarian response and secure a future for Nigeria’s children.”
