President Goodluck Jonathan has tasked states which have not domesticated the Child’ Rights Act, 2003 to do so.
He said that would enable them to provide proper development, adequate protection and participation of the Nigerian children toward national development.
Jonathan said this on Monday in Abuja at the Children’s Day celebration with the theme, ‘Our Children, Our Future: Our Collective Responsibility’.
The president, who was represented by the minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed, said that the Act, enacted in 2003, was, however, yet to be domesticated by some states.
According to him, the Act provides for a system of child justice administration and the care, supervision of children and the responsibilities of children to parents, communities and the nation among others.
“I want to congratulate some states that have taken bold initiatives to promote and protect the rights of their children through the domestication of the Act, and also ensuring effective enforcement of the law.
“Though some states are yet to domesticate the act, they have promulgated other laws addressing specific challenges facing children such as street hawking and withdrawal of children from school.
“I therefore call on such states to domesticate the Act so as to ensure a holistic protection of children, particularly those at the grassroots”, he said.
Section 13 of the Act provides for good healthcare services for the right of the child and also imposes on all levels of governments and stakeholders the responsibility for their healthcare.
On the National Children’s Resource Centre, the president said his administration was making efforts to ensure the completion of the structure by 2014.
The president said that when completed, it would serve as a centre for the development and welfare of the children, and provide ICT training as well as serve as secretariat of the Children’s Parliament.
