The African Youths Assembly for Peace (AYAP), a Non-Government Organisation, has called on relevant stakeholders to make concerted efforts towards ensuring quality education and welfare for Nigerian Children.
Mr Abdul-Aziz Yusuf, Head of Research and Publicity of the group stated this on Thursday in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja.
Our correspondent reports that the theme of 2021 Celebration is “Unite to Reverse the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Children”.
Yusuf said that children were the future generation of every society hence the need to prioritise and invest more in their welfare and education for a better society.
He also reiterated the need to prioritise the health and physical well-being of the children, especially at the post COVID-19 era.
“As Nigerian children join their counterpart across the globe to celebrate the 2021 Children’s Day.
“It is important to note that from health to education sectors, every child in the country has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many impacted in multiple ways.
“There is an urgent need for efficient and cost-effective solutions for these Nigerian children and the theme was chosen to highlight the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child irrespective of their status.
“And children should enjoy their rights to Survival and Development as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003, ″ he said.
Yusuf said that to achieve positive outcomes for children, there was the need to adopt policies at individual and community levels to ensure sustained poverty alleviation among children.
He also called on stakeholders at all levels to embrace policies geared towards provision of social protection, parenting support, psychosocial and mental support to children.
According to him, it will effectively help to cushion the negative effects of COVID-19 on children at all levels of the society.