Nigeria: UNICEF Tasks Kebbi on CRA Implementation

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has called on the government of Kebbi State, northwest Nigeria, to allocate and release adequate resources for the full implementation of the newly signed Child Rights Act (CRA).

The UN agency made the call in a statement commending the state government for domesticating the law.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu signed the Protection of Child Rights bill into law on 28 July, 2022, making Kebbi the 31st state in Nigeria to do so.

It is understood that the five states yet to domesticate the law are Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, and Zamfara.

Nigeria operates a federal system of government, meaning laws passed by the National Assembly do not automatically become applicable in all of the country’s 36 states.

UNICEF said by signing the bill into law, the governor has taken the required step in ensuring children in Kebbi State thrive in an enabling environment.

‘We congratulate the government and people of Kebbi State on this momentous achievement’, UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said.

‘By providing legislation that protects the rights of its children, Kebbi State has taken the right decision to provide its children the enabling environment to thrive and reach their full potential.

‘Putting in place this law is good but just the first step. The Kebbi State government must take the next important step by putting in place structures and allocating resources for its full implementation.

‘UNICEF urges that the law be gazetted without delay’.

Hawkins further urged other states yet to domesticate the law to do so immediately for the best interest of children.

With more than 23 million girls and women who were married as children, Nigeria has the largest number of child brides in Africa.

The CRA, adopted by Nigeria in 2003, is the law that guarantees the rights of all children in the country, providing for the best interest of a child to be of paramount consideration in all actions. It provides for a child to be given the protection and care necessary for their well-being.

Photo source: UNICEF

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