By Nkechi Eze
Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, has called for the establishment of the Child Development and Protection Agency (CDPA) to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of policies protecting children’s rights and welfare in Nigeria. This move aims to provide a more robust framework for safeguarding children’s interests and ensuring their well-being.
This development came out of a pivotal meeting with the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) management team, who visited her at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Mr. Jonathan Eze, Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Publicity, in a statement, disclosed that the engagement reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of its children.
According to Jonathan, the Minister emphasized the urgent need for a dedicated, implementing arm that will work closely with law enforcement agencies, retention centers, remand homes, and other child protection institutions to ensure the effective enforcement of child rights laws.
“The Ministry is overwhelmed with implementation tasks when, in fact, our core mandate is to design and supervise policies for the government. This is why we need the Child Development and Protection Agency, which will take on implementation, allowing us to focus on policy-making,” Hajiya Imaan stated.
A key driver of this initiative is the Child Rights Act Review, which will give legal backing to the establishment of the agency.
The Minister outlined a roadmap, starting with the development of a zero draft, followed by extensive consultations over the next two to three months. The proposed framework will be presented as an Executive Bill, with active collaboration from the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President.
Highlighting the urgency of this initiative, the Minister stressed that Nigeria’s global standing is closely tied to how it treats its most vulnerable citizens especially the children. “Every country is judged by how it protects its vulnerable groups, and our children are the most vulnerable. This agency is not optional; it is something we must do.”
The Minister also announced plans to train a dedicated pool of 100 to 200 child protection lawyers who will work at both state and federal levels, ensuring proper legal representation for cases related to adoption, child protection, and welfare issues.
Additionally, she reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership role in ECOWAS Women and Children Affairs, revealing that the country will host the first-ever regional meeting for women and children in West Africa, supported by UN Women.
Furthermore, she underscored the critical link between child protection and birth registration, emphasizing that Universal Cash Grant initiatives cannot be effectively implemented without a proper child identification system. She stressed the need for stringent data access regulations to protect vulnerable children, particularly those affected by insurgency.
The Regional Director for West and Central Africa at UNICEF, Mr. Gilles Fagninou, praised the Minister’s efforts in promoting the ministry’s goals, especially her strong campaign against sexual and gender-based violence affecting women, children, and vulnerable groups. He assured that UNICEF will provide unwavering support and partnership to bring about significant positive change and improve the lives of children in Nigeria. This commitment aligns with UNICEF’s mission to protect children from violence, exploitation, and abuse, and to ensure their well-being and safety.
