The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday lauded the Federal Government’s role in the rescue of 39 schoolchildren and five teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, and urged sustained investment in children’s protection and birth registration programmes.
The head of UNICEF’s mission to Nigeria, Catherine Russell, who led a delegation to the State House to meet the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, publicly commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for the successful rescue operation.
“I think investing in women and children is an investment into the future of the nation,” Russell said, adding that UNICEF was “glad to stay part of the time, helping as much as possible” and thanking the government leadership “for rescuing children in conflict.”
Russell warned that conflict poses one of the gravest threats to children worldwide. “Whether it is displacement, conflict, violence, abductions, whatever it is, children need to be protected in these situations,” she said.
The delegation also praised the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) for its role in a nationwide birth registration drive that, UNICEF said, helped increase birth registration to 14 million children in two years. “I like to commend the leadership and RHI for birth registration,” Russell said. “Birth registration is one of the most important because children are part of our priority to guarantee a great future.”
Mrs Tinubu thanked UNICEF for its partnership and expressed relief at the return of the abducted pupils and teachers. “We are used to UNICEF coming to partner with our office in the way of advocacy,” she said. “Children are very important in any country for the development of that country.”
Drawing on her background in education, the First Lady emphasised that underinvestment in children harms national progress. “When you have children and they are not well invested in, no matter how wealthy that country is, they will not be able to make substantial growth,” she said.
The First Lady also highlighted the rising number of out-of-school children, particularly Almajiri children, and said the government is exploring their placement in formal and skills-based schools.
Russell also acknowledged the First Lady’s role in campaigns against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other child protection efforts.
Other members of the UNICEF delegation present included Country Representative Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef and senior advisers and specialists from UNICEF’s Nigeria mission.
