President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has promised that the National Assembly will work to guarantee a better future for Nigerian children.
Lawan made the promise on Wednesday on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day.
His words: “I want to use the opportunity of this occasion to assure our children that the National Assembly is fully aware of the challenges that they face and will continue to work to guarantee them and our country a better future.
“I also call on the authorities at the sub-national level who have not done so, to domesticate the Child Rights Act for the sake of the future of our children.”
The Senate President called for collaboration between the federal and state governments in comprehensively addressing issues relating to the plight of Nigerian children.
On the part of parents, Lawan urged them to dutifully play their own role in providing the immediate needs for their children, for the future peace of the children, parents and the country.
The Senate President said the surest route to a happy and fulfilling future for the children was to provide them quality education and healthcare, and to protect them against all forms of abuse.
Lawan said it was that realisation that led the Federal Government in 1976 to introduce Universal Primary Education, which in 1999 was expanded to the Universal Basic Education, and also to enact the Child Rights Act in 2003.
He, however, expressed concern that despite all such efforts, Nigeria was still heavily burdened with a high number of out-of-school children, a situation which he said showed the sign of a grave danger for the country.
