Children’s voices missing in policies, decisions making – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that the voices of Nigeria’s children have been missing in decisions making and policies that affect their well-being.

Joseph Senesie, the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, stated this while unveiling the 4th and 5th edition of Da Raraffee Yaro Kan Tashi, a radio programme that targets children’s development and child rights campaign in Borno State.

He maintained that since the commencement of the programme in 2022, it had been an impactful platform for building the capacity of children and educating them to know their rights.

“And what are these rights? The right to education, right to life, right to health, protection from discrimination and so on. The voices of children have been missing for too long in discourse and the formulation of policies on issues that affect them”, he noted.

He noted that children who had been part of the programme in recent time had been making meaningful impact in the society.

“With support from donors such as Global Partnership Education, over 70 episodes have been produced on different topics reaching atleast 5.5 million people in Borno state and beyond”, he said.

Senesie maintained that children can truly become future leaders when their voices on issue concerning their life are recognised.

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“If we want oir children to be theleaders Tomorrow, then we have to start listening to them now, recognize their voices when making decision concerning their rights”, he declared.

On the new seasons, Senesie said 23 children affected by conflicts had led the programme with their capacity built as radio presenters and child rights champions.

“They have benefited from public speaking skills and their knowledge improved on issues that affect children in Borno”, he added

He said the radio programme in Hausa, tagged Da Rarrafe Yaro Kan Yashir, has been useful in building the capacity of children to know and defend their rights including rights to education.

He said over a million children are still out of school in Northeast Borno State largely exacerbated by years of armed conflict.

Also speaking, Hajiya Yabawa Kyari, the Director of Children Affairs in Borno Ministry of Women Affairs, commended UNICEF and other partners for initiating the radio programme. She assured UNICEF that Borno State Government would continue to support the promotion of child rights and access to education.

She, however, urged leaders of the State Children’s Parliament to embrace the initiative and prioritise ideas that reflect the needs of various categories of children in the State.