— As FG mulls overhaul of child adoption policy

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — In a bid to promote academic excellence and reward ingenuity, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman‑Ibrahim, handed over cash prizes and laptops to winners of the national essay and science competitions at the National Children’s Day ceremony held under the theme “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Child.”

The First Lady said every Nigerian child deserves access to quality education, healthcare, protection, digital skills, and a safe environment in which they can reach their full potential.

She also urged the children to aim higher and not allow their environment to define their limits.

Senator Tinubu made the remarks in her address at the 2026 Children’s Day commemoration organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the minister awarded ₦1 million to each top winner, ₦500,000 to second‑place winners, and ₦250,000 to third‑place winners. They also distributed laptops and tablets to all the children at the event to support learning and digital skills development.

The President’s wife expressed delight at joining the children to celebrate their day, stressing that the event was a reminder of the shared responsibility to build a nation where every child is valued, protected, educated, and given the opportunity to thrive.

She said celebrating the children ahead of the annual Children’s Day on 27 May, which coincides with Sallah this year, demonstrated the government’s commitment to Nigerian children.

The First Lady called on everyone to create a society where no child is left behind regardless of gender, background, ethnicity, religion, or social status.

“Children are the heartbeat of our nation and our future. The dreams they carry, the ideas they share, and the talents they possess have the power to transform Nigeria for generations to come. That is why inclusion, irrespective of age, must remain at the centre of our national development,” she said.

“Every Nigerian child deserves access to quality education, healthcare, protection, digital skills, and a safe environment where they can reach their full potential.”

She assured that the government will continue to strengthen policies and programmes that protect the rights of children and expand opportunities for every child to succeed, and said President Bola Tinubu is working hard to ensure a better and brighter future for them.

“Through the Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr President is investing in your education, health, child nutrition, children’s rights and protection. He is removing barriers to education for the girl child, expanding vocational and STEM opportunities, and ensuring that no child is left behind. My charge to you today is that you should aim higher; do not allow your environment to define your limit,” she added.

Senator Tinubu congratulated all the awardees of the National Essay Competition, noting that their thoughtful ideas and creativity demonstrate that Nigeria’s future is bright and full of promise. She told the young innovators that their achievements prove that when children are encouraged, supported, and empowered, they can achieve great feats.

“To all our dear children across the nation, I urge you to remain focused on your education, embrace discipline, respect, and love of country. Never allow your circumstances to limit your dreams. Your future begins with the choices you make today,” she said.

In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman‑Ibrahim, said that in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, her ministry — as the national machinery for the advancement of women, children, families, and vulnerable populations — is implementing, through the Renewed Hope Social Intervention 774, a unified national delivery framework for women and child wellbeing.

“Through this platform, the ministry is transforming child development from fragmented efforts into a coordinated national system anchored on results, data, and accountability,” she said.

“A major pillar of this reform is comprehensive policy modernization. The ministry is currently reviewing and updating obsolete national frameworks, including the National Child Policy of 2009, which no longer reflects today’s realities. We are also strengthening and modernizing the child adoption policy and related child protection instruments to align with global practices of safeguarding, due process, an ethical adoption system, and child‑centred justice.”

She explained that the policy reset is critical to ensuring that “our Nigerian children are well protected” and that it will respond to today’s challenges: digital exploitation, evolving family structures, trafficking risk, and cross‑border adoption complexities, while guaranteeing that every Nigerian child is protected by a modern, enforceable, and globally compliant framework.

“Anchoring these reforms is a strengthened Nigerian Council on Women Affairs and Child Development, which will serve as the central national coordinating mechanism for harmonising federal, state, and local interventions to ensure policy coherence, institutional accountability, and a unified national direction for child wellbeing,” she added.

The minister said the ministry has prioritised holistic child‑development programming that addresses not just education but also emotional wellbeing, safety, and moral grounding. She noted that Nigeria’s child population — “over 100 million; one of the largest child populations in the world” — imposes a national duty to invest deliberately in survival, protection, education, participation, and development.

“This reality places a profound obligation on the State to deliberately invest in their survival, protection, education, participation, and development,” Sulaiman‑Ibrahim said.

The minister reiterated national messaging aimed at boosting community reporting and response: the “See Something, Say Something, We Do Something” campaign, which is designed to strengthen the country’s response to abuse, trafficking, bullying, and harmful practices affecting children.

She called for sustained collaboration with development partners and civil society, thanking UNICEF, Save the Children, the World Bank and others for their support. “As a government, we remain firmly committed to building a Nigeria where every child is protected and empowered,” she said.

Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the National Coordinator of the National Counter‑Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major‑General Adamu Laka (retd), who was represented at the event, said protecting children is central to preventing radicalisation and violent extremism.

“Promoting inclusion is not only a moral responsibility but also a strategic investment in peacebuilding, national cohesion, and the prevention of violent extremism, terrorism, and other forms of insecurity,” the NCTC message said.