INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD: HON. DEACONESS AMB. FLORENCE GBINIGIE PHD, JP CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO RESCUE KIDNAPPED NIGERIAN CHILDREN


 Abuja, Nigeria – As the world marks the International Day of the African Child on June 16, Hon. Deaconess Ambassador Florence Gbinigie PhD, JP, former Edo State Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development and Founder/President of the Forum of Nigeria Women in Politics (FONWIP) and BOT to many child NGOs, has issued a strong call for intensified efforts to rescue Nigerian children currently in captivity.  

In her statement to commemorate the Day, themed “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress since 2010”, Deaconess Gbinigie said the celebration rings hollow while hundreds of Nigerian children remain kidnapped, denied their rights to safety, education, and childhood.  Can we call this progress? Or can we say that the children were not adequately planned for in the budgetary allocation? These are questions demanding answers from the government that's supposed to protect their future leaders.

“The African Child Day is meant to remind us of our duty to protect, nurture, and empower our children. But how do we celebrate when our children are in the forests, in chains, and in fear? Some are already dead. The cries of kidnapped Nigerian children must drown out every speech and compel every leader to act,” she stated.  

Hon. Gbinigie urged the Federal and State Government in Nigeria  to:  

1. Prioritize rescue operations and ensure safe returns and the rehabilitation of all abducted children.  

2. Increase budgetary allocation for child protection, education in emergencies, and psychosocial support.  

3. Strengthen collaboration between security agencies, civil society, and women/children’s groups to prevent future abductions.  

As Founder and President of FONWIP she also called on Nigerian women in politics and public life to use their platforms to keep the plight of kidnapped children on the national agenda until every child is accounted for.  Efforts need to be intensified by all asundry because every child belongs to every adult.

“A nation that cannot protect its children cannot secure Her future.

On this Day of the African Child, let our commitment move from rhetoric to rescue,” she added.  

The International Day of the African Child is commemorated annually on June 16 to honour the 1976 Soweto Uprising and to draw attention to the challenges facing children across Africa.  --  

Hon. Deaconess Amb. Florence Gbinigie PhD, JP served as Edo State Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development and continues to advocate for women’s political participation in leadership and child welfare.

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