11 States Yet To Pass Child Rights Acts - Human Rights Group

The  National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on 11 northern Nigerian states to pass the Child Rights Act (CRA) in a bid to tackle the challenges faced by almajirai. 

The call comes from the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, during the Children's Day Celebration held on Wednesday, May 27.

Ojukwu said, “As of today, only 25 out of the 36 states have passed the CRA into law in their various states. The situation leaves a huge gap in our collective efforts to protect our children."

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States yet to pass the CRA into law are, Yobe, Gombe, Sokoto, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Kebbi.

Ojukwu added, “The commission wishes to use the opportunity of the 2020 Children’s Day celebration to call on all states that have not passed the CRA to do so without further delay.

“The passage of the Act will also help to address the problem of Almajiri once and for all. The children must be reunited with the parents and provisions made for their education in a structured and progressive manner as stipulated in the Child Rights Act.

“They encounter domestic violence, sexual exploitation, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment and other forms of abuse.

“Parents need to take extra care of the children, help the children stay socially connected with friends and family within the protocols, support the child with information about COVID-19, teach them the basic hygiene, to wash their hands often with soap and use of sanitisers and face masks to stop the virus from spreading.”