Each year, Nigeria rolls out the drums to celebrate her youths who have been neglected over the years. Always, celebration of “future leaders” bursts with songs and parades, celebrating innocence and hope. Yet, beneath the vibrant displays lies a harsher truth—millions of Nigerian children endure poverty, neglect and systemic failure. Their laughter often masks hunger and their dreams clash with harsh realities such as child labour and early marriage. Assistant Features Editor Chinaka Okoro reports the sobering story behind the celebrations—and the urgent need for change.
In the face of the harsh living conditions in Borno, a silent tussle unfolds–the struggle of millions of Nigerian children who are deprived of a fundamental right: the right to education.
However, these children share a story of resilience, hope, and an unyielding spirit despite the odds stacked against them.
Meet Hadiza, a bright-eyed 10-year-old girl, living in one of the modest neighbourhoods. While her peers excitedly don school uniforms and bags, Hadiza spends her days selling groundnuts by the roadside. Education, a luxury her family cannot afford, remains a distant dream. Yet, her eyes sparkle with determination, reflecting a spirit unbroken by adversity.
Then there’s Mohammed, a 12-year-old boy with dreams as massive as the Nigerian skies. His father, a daily wage labourer, can barely make ends meet. For Mohammed, school is not just a place of learning; it’s a sanctuary where his dreams take flight. But the doors of knowledge remain closed to him, leaving his aspirations hanging in an indeterminate state.
In the bustling commercial city of Lagos, is Obafemi Imuta, 16, whose large sack in which he packs empty plastic bottles is always strapped on his back as he trudges to the recycling firm in the Oshodi area of Lagos. Every morning, little Imuta leaves the house as early as 6:30 a.m. in search of plastic bottles, which he picks from dustbins, gutters or close to people’s homes. He lives with his mother in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos.
Having lost his father a few years back, he supports his mother, Shakirat, a young petty trader, in taking care of his other siblings. This he does through the sale of plastic bottles to some firms that recycle plastic containers in exchange for a paltry sum of money. The plastic bottles that litter parts of Lagos environment have become a source of income and sustainability for little Obafemi and his family.
At the sprawling Ariaria International Market, Aba, Abia State, Chukwukerem Mgbemgasa, 17, hawks cold sachet water and mineral drinks from which he makes daily sales of N5,500. Though he is of school age, he is out of school because his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nnodi Iheaku, do not have the resources to enrol him in school.
So, like Obafemi in Lagos, Chukwukerem hawks his wares to complement his parent’s paltry income with which they take care of their family. He became a breadwinner at a very tender age.
In the commercial town of Kano, Aishatu Adamu, 15, helps her father, Mallam Kaba and mother, Aisha, in the upkeep of the family by being married off to Alhaji Bentu Ibrahim against her will. Her parents, Kabiru and Aisha, saw in Alhaji Ibrahim a potential in-law who would alleviate the family’s financial burdens. At 16, Aishatu was pregnant with her first child. She died in the process of childbirth.
Obafemi, Hadiza, Chukwukerem, Aishatu and others represent millions of children in the country who are basically out of school and who circumstances have forced to fend for themselves and their families at a tender age. They also represent billions of children worldwide who have been engaged in either child or forced labour, or what the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) described as child workers.
In Nigeria, as well as other countries, child labour or child workers abound due to some socio-economic factors that swell the army of child labourers.
For instance, since Nigeria’s economic fortunes nosedived as a result of a fall in the prices of oil in the international market, leading to economic recession, many Nigerian families find it difficult to feed well let alone foot education bills of their children.
Then, how to make children assistants in the family upkeeps became a somewhat candid option for most parents.
Figures from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that over 20 million Nigerian children are out of school and are hawking some wares or being forced into early marriages to contribute to the families’ finances.
Aside this, most of them become recruits for banditry, kidnapping, robbery, Boko Haram insurgents and other enemies of the state.
This is why conscious efforts are being made at the global, national and sub-national levels to avert the catastrophe (youth revolution) that looms, which may be global.
Experts and other stakeholders have expressed dismay over the level of neglect that have become the lot of most Nigerian children which has resulted in stifling their future.
Authorities in juvenile matters have described child negligence as the failure of parents or society to provide for children’s good development in the areas of health, education, affection, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions. This particular type of mistreatment is much more frequent than physical or sexual abuse against children.
They also maintain that “when caregivers fail to be committed to raising children in proper and required manner, it results in depriving the child of his or her basic needs. Such may include the failure to provide adequate supervision, health care, clothing or housing, as well as other physical, emotional, social, educational and safety needs.”
Fears are that the future of Nigerian children is at risk due to widespread challenges, including poverty, malnutrition, conflict and limited access to education and healthcare, according to UNICEF. A significant portion of children face malnutrition, with millions suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Conflicts and insecurity, particularly in the North, disrupt education and displace children, further endangering their future. Violence, including sexual violence, and a lack of access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation, further exacerbate these challenges.
The assertion “children: our future, our hope” emphasises the significance of children as the foundation for a positive future and a source of optimism for humanity. It highlights their potential as future leaders, innovators and guardians of society.
UNICEF’s recent statistics paint a stark reality: over 20 million children, such as Hadiza and Mohammed, and their peers are missing out on their education. They roam the streets, not with books in hand, but with unspoken stories of potential untapped.
Celebrating children, therefore, should not merely be ceremonial—it ought to be a call to action. It should compel society to reflect on its obligations toward the next generation and to reimagine a country where children’s rights are at the centre of policy and planning. It is an opportunity to celebrate their laughter and potential, and to recommit to building a safe, inclusive and enabling environment for their growth and fulfilment.
In the Nigerian context, however, this vision remains largely unfulfilled. Nigeria is a signatory to various international conventions that support child welfare, yet the daily realities faced by many Nigerian children tell a different story.
Poverty, insecurity, poor access to education and weak health systems continue to stifle the dreams of millions of children. Sadly, their situations become so horrid, so much so that they realise what they are going through.
For instance, Peace, a primary five pupil in one of the secondary schools in Lagos, captures the frustration many children feel when she said: “The government has not done much for children.” Children from poor homes find it hard to go to school…The government should make education affordable.”
Her voice echoes the urgent need for action: “If Nigeria truly intends to harness the potential of its children and secure its future, then it must move beyond promises. The country must invest significantly in child protection, education, healthcare and family support. For protecting children today, we safeguard our collective tomorrow.”
Mmesoma Akaigwe, a primary six pupil of Larit Schools, Isolo, believe that the government has failed children because they still experience child labour. She said: “The government has failed us in the area of child labour. This is because one can still find many children hawking on the streets during school hours. This will affect the future of these children. The government should eradicate child labour.”
Early marriage is another issue that children are worried about. Chinecherem Nwaokoro, an SS2 student at Federal Government College Owerri, said: “Early marriage is one of the areas the government has not done much. Most girls of school age are given out forcibly for marriage, thereby exposing them to ViscoVirgina Fistula (VVF) and other deadly diseases.”
Way out of child neglect is not in lack; what is in great lack is implementation of several laws that aimed at protecting and enhancing their well-being. Stakeholders and even policymakers have repeatedly enunciated policies and programmes for the children’s good. However, a lack of political will on the part of leaders to implement laws such as the Child Rights Act and other structural and institutional weaknesses become clogs on the efforts to better the lives of children.
The former lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Jude Idimogu, believes that the problems experienced by the Nigerian child are multi-dimensional, ranging from political, economic, social, cultural, health and other issues. He said that it is the responsibility of the government to provide individuals, including children, with a health system that will guarantee a normal and productive life. Even though he recognised the government’s efforts toward ensuring a better future for the citizens, including the children, he conceded that it had not been a bed of roses, as there were failures to attain the desired goals.
“Part of the failures recorded and still unending are persistent weakness in the coordination of health activities and resources, little attention given to management issues, malaria situation that has continued to deteriorate and unmitigated population growth, among other issues,” he said.
He opined that “there should be established a partnership towards a new social contract-a partnership that would involve all local government areas, communities, individuals, government and civil society in sharing resources and responsibilities. The set objective should include targeting the underprivileged and the most vulnerable groups and ensuring the quality of health services.
“Above all, strategies to make necessary information available must be of paramount concern to all for the sake of the children who are said to be tomorrow’s leaders. The best and only legacy that parents can bequeath to their children is a tomorrow that is not bleak.”
For Mr. Joachim Emeka Ike, a management consultant and public affairs analyst, Nigerian children are faced with seemingly insurmountable teething troubles which an unfriendly social system has foisted on them. Ike said: “Nigerian children are currently deeply touched by the hunger for peace due to unbridled ethnic and religious upheavals that the society throws up. They are troubled by so much injustice around them. They sense overwhelming danger in gigantic stockpiles of arms and ammunition deployed for intra- and inter-ethnic and religious clashes. “They fear the uncertainties of non-state actors such as terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, robbers and other forms of social ills during which they would be sadly involved as victims. Nigerian children are threatened by the level of corruption in society, which cocks-up their future. They are subjected to widespread hunger and malnutrition, which could be described as multi-dimensional.
“Most awfully, they are concerned about the environment that seems to represent hopelessness and helplessness; despite that, there is a government that is trying its best to renew their hopes. They face a future that is not only bleak but also pitch-dark.”
A visibly worried Ike could not come to terms with why Nigerian children should be allowed to have experiences which stultify their sense of judgment and worldview. He is of the view that the Nigerian child should not suffer, given the enormous natural endowment with which God blessed Nigeria. “But regrettably” he said “they are faced with unemployment and lack of future prospects. They are upset by a large number of people who are suppressed politically, socially, economically, culturally and even morally and who cannot enjoy the exercise of their human rights as individuals.
“In the face of these, most Nigerian children have become cocooned and take flight from responsibility and indulge in the fantasy worlds of alcohol, drugs, indifference, cynicism and violence. All these combine to imbue Nigerian children with unpatriotic and underhanded treachery.”
The Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, Dr. Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu (JP) has argued that much of the experiences which Nigerian children go through are not cheery enough to buoy up the hopes and spirits of the supposed tomorrow’s leaders.
“We always say that the child is the future of Nigeria. But what is being done sincerely to save the future from extinction? Children need peace, love, care, a healthy and serene environment and reassured commitment towards their survival to exist.
“They also need adequate health care, good nutrition and protection from killer diseases for appropriate physical and mental growth. Conversely, they experience heated polity, lack of social amenities, hunger, malnutrition, all manner of ethnic and religious violence, unsafe drinking water, inadequate and poor-quality education, underpowered parents to take care of them and a lack of political will on the part of leaders to evolve policies and programmes that are child-friendly. Poverty is at the centre of what the Nigerian child experiences,” he said.
Continuing, the Igbo leader noted that “frequent illness or morbidity, malnutrition and illiteracy are some of the most fundamental causes as well as some of the most severe symptoms of poverty. We fail to recognise that economic, political and social developments are held back when millions of children suffer from poor mental and physical growth, that equality of opportunity is set back when the children of the poor drop out of school.
“Malnutrition and disease lead to poor mental and physical growth in children, leading to their poor performance at school, which leads to a bleak future. In Nigeria, priorities are placed back to front. The most significant aspects of our national life are ignored, and concentrated on the not-too-important issues. I think that something is wrong if a country pays so much attention to issues of defection and misappropriation of funds, and allows cold silence to greet the unnecessary deaths of thousands of our children resulting from diseases and malnutrition.
“A significant portion of children face malnutrition, with millions suffering from acute malnutrition and severe acute malnutrition. Conflicts and insecurity, particularly in the North, disrupt education and displace children, further jeopardising their future. Violence, including sexual violence and a lack of access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation, further exacerbate these challenges.”
Lady Doris Anyadoh, President of the African Resources Initiative (ARI), has stressed the urgent need for a strategic cycle of hope and change to secure Nigeria’s future. She argued that realising the rights of children is critical to breaking the vicious cycle of deprivation, disease, violence, and discrimination that continues to dim the lives of Nigerian children and adolescents. According to her, empowering children—Nigeria’s so-called future leaders—with survival, growth, and development opportunities is essential, but society must first stop recycling its leadership among the aged.
Lady Anyadoh emphasised that while poverty severely undermines a child’s physical well-being, its psychological and emotional impacts are even more devastating.
Observers corroborate her view, noting that unless Nigeria prioritises child health and development, progress will remain elusive. The country must invest in preparing parents, strengthening communities and building a society that is free from violence and discrimination.
More importantly, children should be valued and given opportunities to contribute meaningfully to national life. Until leaders begin to act decisively, the rights of children will continue to be trampled by poor public policies. Without urgent intervention, today’s children will inherit not hope, but the failures of a nation unwilling to prioritise its most vulnerable population.
By providing opportunities for youth to lead, communities can benefit from fresh perspectives, increased participation and a more vibrant future.
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These views had been enunciated by William Wordsworth in his 1802 poem My Heart Leaps Up and Thomas A. Harris’ I’m OK – You’re OK.
In Wordsworth’s poem “The Child is the Father of the Man” which has become one of the most quoted lines in English poetry, at first glance, may appear paradoxical.
However, Wordsworth conveys a profound truth—that the behaviours, emotions and experiences of childhood shape the adult individual. In essence, childhood lays the foundation for the adult’s personality, beliefs and capacities. This insight resonates deeply within both literature and modern psychology.
Thomas A. Harris, a renowned psychiatrist, supports this view by asserting that every adult retains an inner child. This inner child, he explains, is not only the source of vulnerability and insecurity but also the wellspring of creativity, wonder and exploration.
Similarly, Oliver Wendell Holmes suggests that children are the most truthful members of society, unencumbered by pretence and capable of profound insight. When nurtured in a supportive environment, this natural honesty can evolve into the integrity and innovation essential for responsible leadership and national development.
Despite the universal recognition of a child’s potential, society has historically underestimated their voices and rights. Children are often viewed through a narrow lens—seen but not heard.
However, global frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and declarations from the World Summit for Children reaffirm that they must not only be protected but also empowered.
At the UN General Assembly’s Special Session on Children in 2001, world leaders restated their commitment to ensuring that every child is born into a world free from violence, with access to basic necessities such as clean water, nutrition, healthcare and education, along with emotional and cognitive support. How they have kept up this 24-year-old commitment remains a conjecture.
