Aisha Buhari, the First Lady of Nigeria speaking at the celebration of the Day of African Child 2021 in Abuja, stated that the voices of African Children must be heard.
The First Lady was represented by Mairo Al-Makura, Special Assistant to the President on African First Ladies Peace Mission, and was quoted saying;
“It is indeed sad to note from research conducted by some organisations that Africa has the largest number of child labourers, which states that 72.1 million African children are estimated to be in child labour, and 31.5 million in perilous work.”
“We are also aware that every disaster or conflict comes with terrible consequences for children. Besides protecting children from harm whenever we can, it is equally important to help them cope with the shattering effects of violence. This involves setting up child-friendly spaces and emergency education initiatives to restore children’s sense of stability and normalcy.”
“My concern presently is the right of a child to healthy living, right to care, and right to go to school without fear of the unknown. I appreciate the effort of government to secure schools to avoid abductions of children, but I want to appeal to all stakeholders not to leave this aspect to the government alone. To ensure that the African Charter for children works, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to play their role effectively. We must work together to make Africa great! The future is bright for the African child! Long live Africa!”
