Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has urged Nigerian policymakers to move beyond rhetorical commitments and place children at the centre of national budgets and development policies.
Kalu made the call during the 2025 Day of the African Child celebration, held Monday at Tudun Wada Secondary School, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
The event was organised by the Erudite Growth and Advancement Foundation (ERGAF) in collaboration with Project Hope Alive.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Women Affairs, Joy Akut, Kalu described the celebration as more than a ceremonial date, calling it “a call to conscience” for leaders at all levels.
“This is not just a calendar date; it is a call to conscience. A reminder that the heartbeat of our continent lies in the potential of its youngest generation,” he said.
Speaking on the event’s theme, “Child Rights-Based Budgeting in Nigeria: The Role of Policymakers,” Kalu stressed the need for translating policy statements into actionable measures that directly uplift children’s lives.
“As Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, and as a father, I know that real progress is measured not in what we say, but in the lives we change and the impact we make,” he stated.
He further emphasised that child rights-based budgeting is not charity but a constitutional obligation, a developmental necessity, and a global standard. Kalu noted that the National Assembly has taken concrete steps to uphold this principle through strengthened legislation and increased oversight of child-focused agencies such as UBEC, NPHCDA, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts in the House, including pushing for the domestication of the Child Rights Act in all states, supporting the proposed Child Destitution Bill, and advocating for more investment in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and nutrition.
While acknowledging existing gaps in budget implementation and the plight of vulnerable children, Kalu assured stakeholders that the 10th Assembly remains fully committed to driving change through sustained legislative action.
“But the work of protecting and empowering children cannot be done by the government alone,” he cautioned, praising ERGAF-Africa and Project Hope Alive for stepping into the gap where state institutions sometimes fall short. “You are holding the line where systems sometimes falter, and for that, I say thank you.”
He urged development partners and civil society actors to remain engaged, stressing the need for their expertise and advocacy in ensuring that every naira allocated meets the actual needs of Nigerian children.
“To the children here today, and across Nigeria: your dreams are valid. Your rights are not negotiable. Your voices matter. And your future is our national priority,” Kalu declared, drawing a loud round of applause from the students in attendance.
He concluded with a pledge that the legacy of this generation of Nigerian leaders must include the transformation of children’s lives through intentional policy decisions. “Let the record show that Nigeria redefined its legacy. That we chose to see children not only as future leaders, but as leaders in need of action today,” he said.
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Salam, pledged his commitment to pushing for greater inclusion of child-focused budgeting in Nigeria’s fiscal policy, describing it as an urgent national priority that cannot be postponed.
Salam described childhood as a fleeting window of opportunity that must be protected at all costs.
“If there is anything that is urgent, anything crucial, anything strategic, then it is the care of children,” he said. “Every other thing can wait. The child cannot. Childhood cannot be postponed.”
He acknowledged that Nigeria still lags behind globally when it comes to prioritizing children in budgetary planning and constitutional protections. “Unfortunately, we have not done very well when it comes to putting issues of children on the front burner in our constitution and our budgeting practices,” Salam admitted. “But I believe that advocacy like this will nudge our conscience and raise our awareness.”
He added that there is much Nigeria can learn from other countries with more established frameworks for protecting child rights, and called for lessons to be drawn into Nigeria’s legislative and executive practices.
In a strong policy commitment, the lawmaker pledged to personally champion greater engagement in child-focused budgeting within the National Assembly. “I will personally sign on to the promotion of greater inclusiveness and greater engagement of child-focused budgeting in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he declared.
The Founder of ERGAF-Africa and Project Hope Alive International, Dr. Chibuzo Okereke, called on the Nigerian government at all levels to urgently adopt child rights-based budgeting as a national imperative, insisting that it is a globally recognized framework that must no longer be treated as an afterthought.
Dr. Okereke criticized the structure of Nigeria’s current budgeting system, lamenting the absence of intentional allocations targeted at improving the lives of children.
“This year, the African Union is using this day to reflect on how far nations have come in integrating child rights into their budgets,” he said. “Unfortunately, Nigeria’s budget still lacks the philosophical foundation of inclusion and deliberate focus on child-centered development.”
Dr. Okereke explained that child rights-based budgeting is not about creating a separate budget for children, but rather about embedding clear principles and guidelines across all levels of government to ensure that allocations respond directly to children’s needs, from healthcare and education to protection and development.
“It is not a new concept to Nigeria,” he said. “What is missing is the political will and deliberate action. Our budget lines should be crafted to address the real challenges children face, whether in basic education, immunization, nutrition, or safety.”
Referencing recent humanitarian and security crises, he pointed out that many children affected by conflict, displacement, and poverty remain invisible in official data and financial responses. “We are not even able to account for the number of children impacted in places like the Federal Capital Territory,” he said. “Yet in subsequent budgets, there are no specific provisions made to address their plight.”
He called for a system-wide overhaul that begins from the Office of the Budget of the Federation, and includes the Presidency, National Assembly, governors, state houses of assembly, and local government councils. “We need clear, trackable indicators to evaluate whether our budgets are truly responsive,” he said, listing infant mortality rates and safe school initiatives as examples of measurable outcomes.
The Principal of Government Secondary School (GSS) Tudun-Wada, Mrs. Irene M. Akerele, has called on all stakeholders, especially policymakers, to place children at the centre of national planning and budgeting. She made this passionate appeal during the commemoration of the Day of the African Child 2025, hosted at the school and organised by the Erudite Growth and Advancement Foundation (ERGAF-Africa).
In her welcome address to a hall packed with students, civil society advocates, teachers, and dignitaries, Mrs. Akerele reflected on the significance of the day, tying its origins to the 1976 Soweto Uprising in South Africa, when hundreds of students were killed for demanding better education under the apartheid regime.
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“Today is not just another date on the calendar,” she said. “It is a day that holds deep historical and emotional significance. We do not just remember those children; we recommit ourselves to the cause they died for.”
Speaking on this year’s theme, “Child Rights-Based Budgeting in Nigeria: The Role of Policymakers,” Mrs. Akerele said budgeting decisions must go beyond abstract figures to reflect the needs of real children across the country. She argued that the responsibility for child welfare does not rest with government alone.
“This discussion is not just for those in government,” she emphasized. “Every teacher, parent or guardian has a role in shaping a society where our children’s needs are seen, heard, and funded.”
As both an educator and a mother, she said she understands firsthand the link between childhood dreams and the need for tangible support. “For a child to succeed, they must not only have dreams, they must have support,” she said. “A national budget that does not reflect the needs of its children is a budget that abandons its future.”
Mrs. Akerele went further to describe child-focused budgeting as an investment in Nigeria’s long-term progress. “When budgets are designed with children’s rights at the core, we are investing in the doctors, engineers, lawyers, artists, and leaders of tomorrow,” she said. “A child denied proper education or healthcare today becomes a nation denied progress tomorrow.”
She commended ERGAF-Africa for choosing GSS Tudun-Wada as the host school for this year’s celebration and praised the foundation’s commitment to child advocacy and youth empowerment. “I thank ERGAF for their dedication to this cause, and I urge everyone present to carry this message beyond today,” she said.