By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The House of Representatives has called for a sweeping transformation of Nigeria’s budgeting framework to prioritize children’s rights, declaring that the nation risks mortgaging its future by sidelining its youngest citizens in fiscal policy.
The declaration was made on Monday during the 2025 Day of the African Child event, hosted by Hope Alive Initiative in collaboration with Erudie Growth and Advancement Foundation (ERGAF-Africa). The theme of the event, “Child Rights-Based Budgeting in Nigeria: The Role of Policymakers,” drew passionate calls for urgent policy reforms from lawmakers, educationists, and advocates.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, speaking through his Special Assistant on Women Affairs, Ms. Joy Akut, said the nation’s development strategy must be realigned to prioritize children as central stakeholders in budget planning. He emphasized that child-focused budgeting is not an act of benevolence but a constitutional duty and a recognized global standard.
Kalu said the 10th National Assembly is committed to reinforcing child welfare through legislation and policy, noting that the assembly is advancing support for key laws such as the Child Destitution Bill and full domestication of the Child Rights Act. He maintained that increased investment in education, health, and nutrition is critical.
According to him, “Child Rights-Based Budgeting (CRBB) is not charity — it is a constitutional obligation, a development strategy, and a globally accepted best practice. We cannot afford to speak of national progress while our children remain invisible in our policies and underserved in our budgets.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP–Osun), also lent his voice, stressing the urgency of investing in child development. He said, “Every other thing can wait, but child development cannot. If there’s anything urgent, strategic, and fundamental — it’s the care and protection of our children.”
President of the Projects Hope Alive Initiative, Dr. Chibuzor Okereke, criticized the lack of political will in mainstreaming child-centred policy in budgeting. He stated that the challenge was not ignorance, but inaction, and called for a comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria’s budgeting process to place children at the core of policy planning across all levels of government.
He said, “Until child-centered policies are deeply embedded from the Office of the Budget to the local government level, Nigeria’s development will continue to be stunted. A budget that ignores children is a budget that fails the nation.”
Founder of the AA Zaura Foundation, Alhaji Abdulsalam Zaura, highlighted the role of the home in raising responsible children, while urging the state to reinforce the family unit through sound policies. He said, “Any nation that fails to raise its children properly will never get it right socially, economically, or politically.”
Mrs. Irene Akerele, Principal of Tudun Wada Government Secondary School in Abuja, underlined the shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and government in nurturing children. She lamented that without concrete government support, schools and families are left to carry the burden of child development alone.
“As a teacher and a mother, I know that a child cannot thrive on hope alone. They need support from schools, from families, and from the government. A national budget that does not reflect the needs of its children is a budget that has abandoned its future,” she said.
She called on the government to view child rights budgeting as a long-term investment in national stability. “Every naira we fail to spend on education or healthcare today is a thousand naira lost in trying to fix what we could have prevented tomorrow,” she concluded.
The event went beyond ceremonial observance to become a resounding national call to action. With Nigeria grappling with challenges in basic education, child health, and youth development, participants warned that failure to urgently prioritize child-focused budgeting could deepen the country’s developmental crisis.
As the 2025 Day of the African Child draws attention to the rights and futures of young Africans, the message from the House of Representatives and civil society advocates remains clear: Nigeria’s future depends on how it budgets for its children today
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