27/05/2026
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2026.
PROTECTING EVERY CHILD: A CALL FOR SAFETY, INCLUSION, AND ACTION ON CHILDREN’S DAY 2026
Vivacious Development Initiative (VIDI), an organisation committed to advancing the protection and well-being of children, joins Nigeria in marking Children’s Day 2026 under the theme “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child.” This day is both a celebration of children’s resilience and a reminder of our collective responsibility to ensure that every child grows up safe, included, protected, and empowered to thrive.
Children are not only the promise of tomorrow, they are active contributors to today. Every investment in their well-being is an investment in Nigeria’s future.
A National Concern
Child Safety and Protection
While Children’s Day is a moment of joy and celebration, it is also a time for sober reflection on the realities facing children across Nigeria.
In recent times, incidents involving attacks on schools in parts of the country, including the situation in Oyo State, where students and school personnel were abducted during a violent invasion of schools, have once again raised urgent concerns about the safety of children in spaces that should be protected. These developments, alongside ongoing reports of children still being accounted for in some cases, highlight the persistent vulnerability of school systems and the urgent need for strengthened protection measures.
These events are not isolated. They reflect a wider and persistent concern: the exposure of children to insecurity in environments that should guarantee safety, particularly schools.
Beyond these incidents, children across Nigeria continue to face multiple risks, including abuse, exploitation, trafficking, child labour, and limited access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and psychosocial support.
The Situation in Abia State
In Abia State, Nigeria, VIDI acknowledges ongoing efforts by government and relevant institutions to strengthen child wellbeing and improve social protection systems.
However, gaps remain in the enforcement of child protection laws and in ensuring consistent, coordinated safeguards for children across communities, schools, and digital environments. These gaps require urgent attention and sustained collaboration to ensure that every child in Abia is truly protected and included.
Emerging Threat:
Digital Risks to Children
With increasing access to technology, children are becoming more exposed to digital risks such as cyberbullying, online grooming, exploitation, harmful content, and privacy violations.
VIDI emphasizes that child protection must now extend beyond physical environments into digital spaces where children increasingly live, learn, and interact.
VIDI’s Position
VIDI reaffirms that every child has the right to safety, dignity, protection, and inclusion without exception.
Inclusion must move beyond policy statements into real, measurable, and sustained action across homes, schools, communities, and digital platforms.
Key Calls to Action
Government:
Strengthen enforcement of child protection laws across all levels.
Invest in safe school systems and preventive protection structures.
Develop and implement stronger digital safety frameworks for children.
Security and Justice Institutions:
Improve rapid response mechanisms to child-related threats
Ensure timely investigation and prosecution of offenders
Strengthen collaboration with community-based protection structures
Schools and Communities:
Institutionalise safeguarding policies in all learning environments
Strengthen reporting systems and community vigilance
Promote safe parenting and child protection awareness
VIDI’s Commitment
Vivacious Development Initiative remains committed to child protection advocacy, community sensitisation, safeguarding education, and collaboration with stakeholders to build safer, more inclusive environments for all children.
Conclusion
Children’s Day is not only a celebration,it is a call to action.
A society is only as strong as how it protects its children. When children are safe, included, and empowered, the nation is secure.
For every Nigerian child, inclusion must be real, not rhetorical.
The future is not tomorrow.
The future is now.
Signed:
Onyinyechi Joy Nwosu
Executive Director, Vivacious Development Initiative (VIDI)
Email: [email protected]
Facebook | LinkedIn: Vivacious Initiative
