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UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Federal Government for the successful rescue of 39 pupils and five teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the action as a critical step towards protecting children affected by conflict and insecurity.

A UNICEF delegation led by its Executive Director, Catherine Russell, gave the commendation on Thursday during a visit to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the State House, Abuja.

Russell praised the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the rescue operation, stressing that children caught in conflict situations require urgent protection, support and intervention from authorities.

She said UNICEF remained committed to working with Nigeria to safeguard children, especially those affected by violence, displacement, abduction and other forms of insecurity.

READ ALSO: FG Moves to Bridge Skills Gap, Drive Industrialisation

“Investing in women and children is an investment into the future of the nation,” Russell said, adding that UNICEF was encouraged by efforts to rescue children caught in conflict situations.

She also commended the First Lady for placing women and children at the centre of her interventions through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), noting that such programmes were essential to improving the lives of vulnerable groups.

The UNICEF delegation further praised the First Lady’s role in advancing birth registration across Nigeria, which has resulted in the registration of 14 million children within two years.

Russell described birth registration as one of the most important steps towards securing children’s rights, ensuring access to education, healthcare and other essential services.

She attributed the achievement to several factors, including advocacy efforts by Senator Oluremi Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Initiative.

“Birth registration is one of the most important because children are part of our priority to guarantee a great future,” she said.

The UNICEF executive director also acknowledged the First Lady’s advocacy against harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), describing her efforts as important contributions to child protection.

Responding, Senator Oluremi Tinubu expressed appreciation to UNICEF for identifying with the Nigerian government during challenging periods, particularly following the abduction of the Oyo schoolchildren.

She said protecting and investing in children remained critical to Nigeria’s future development, stressing that no nation could achieve sustainable growth without prioritising the welfare and education of its younger population.

“With children, if they are not well invested in, no matter how wealthy that country is, they will not be able to make substantial growth,” the First Lady said.

She highlighted education as a key priority, noting her background as a teacher had reinforced her belief in the importance of preparing children for the future.

The First Lady also raised concerns about the increasing number of out-of-school children, particularly Almajiris, saying the government was exploring ways to integrate them into formal education and skills acquisition programmes.

The UNICEF delegation included the organisation’s Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, Chief of Staff Ted Mary, Senior Adviser on Communication Marlene Jensen, Head of Project Marline Serrano and Executive Specialist Nabila Jamshed.

The meeting further reinforced collaboration between UNICEF and the Nigerian government on child protection, education, healthcare and social development initiatives.

The Traffic NG
UNICEF
Amarachi Ihesiulo
The Traffic NG

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