By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS Nigeria joins rest of Africa to mark the 2025 Africa International Day of the African Child, a Civil Society Organization, CSO, SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, Monday, declared Nigeria children deserve actions beyond budgetary allocations by the Federal State governments.

The 2025 International Day of the African Child with the theme ‘Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010’, SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria who also marked the Day said it was imperative to join the continent in reflecting on how far “we have come, and how far we must go to secure the rights and well-being of every child, especially in Nigeria.”

According to the organization, with children making up nearly 50 per cent of Nigeria’s population, more than 102 million strategic investments in their development is not just a moral responsibility but a national imperative.

Meanwhile, the organization acknowledged that Nigeria has recorded commendable progress over the past 15 years in prioritizing children in national development plans and budget frameworks.

Adding that there have been visible efforts to increase allocations to education, health, nutrition, and child protection, strong pillars for child survival and growth, for instance the national nutrition budget saw a 700 per cent increase between 2021 and 2025. Education and health allocations have also seen incremental rises in several years, reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of investing in young lives.

It says that despite these strides, persistent gaps in budget execution and accountability continue to undermine the actual impact of these efforts as it cited 2020, which education sector received 6.5 per cent allocation of the national budget, then dropped to 5.6 per cent in 2021, and then modestly rose to 7.9 per cent in 2022, before falling again to 5.98 per cent in 2024.

According to the organization, in 2021, only ₦127 billion of ₦742 billion allocated to education was released for capital projects, pointing to a troubling disconnect between allocation and implementation. Health and social protection sectors face similar challenges, with underfunding and inconsistent disbursement limiting service delivery at the community level.

The National Director, SOS Children’s Villages, Eghosa Erhumwunse said: “The Nigerian child deserves more than promises on paper. Budgeting for children is not optional, it is imperative. Every naira allocated to child survival, education, nutrition, and protection translates to a stronger, prosperous Nigeria tomorrow.

“We must shift from lip service to measurable investments. Our organization remains at the forefront of child welfare, delivering family strengthening, Alternative care options, Education, Health services, and Psychosocial support to vulnerable children and families across the country.

“Beyond direct services, SOS also champions child-focused policy advocacy working with government agencies and communities to promote sustainable investments and ensure children are not left behind, these are channelled from effective fundraising for children, quality implementation and effective approaches.

“SOS Children’s Villages commends the government of Nigeria for the giant strides made toward integrating children’s issues into national and subnational budgets. We also recognize the growing commitment to transparency, including the drive to improve child-focused budget coding and tracking.

“Most significantly, we applaud the national commitment to inaugurate the Child Rights and Welfare Commission , a long-awaited move that will serve as a cornerstone for advancing children’s rights, driving intersectoral coordination, and enhancing accountability.

Meanwhile, Erhumwunse counseled that, “To sustain this, government must scale up allocations for education, health, and child protection, with specific budget lines earmarked for children.

“More importantly, these budgets must be fully disbursed and tracked through open and transparent mechanisms. The inauguration and full operationalization of the National Child Rights and Welfare Commission by the third quarter of 2025 must be prioritized to ensure national coordination, oversight, and accountability for the leaders of tomorrow.

He further stated that, “This year’s Day of the African Child is more than a commemoration, it is a collective reminder that the future of our nation rests in how well we plan and budget for our children.

“The Nigerian child is resilient, full of potential, and deserving of every opportunity. Let us match our policies with action, our budgets with results, and our words with unwavering commitment.”