In the conference hall of the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, as Nigeria marked this year’s World Children’s Day, the 71st globally, the air carried an unusual mix of hope and urgency. Editors in crisp suits and Ankara sat shoulder to shoulder with schoolchildren in bright uniforms. A visually impaired teenager who had taught himself to code prepared to take the microphone. A diplomat from the Netherlands struggled to steady his voice. The UNICEF Country Representative declared that the real bosses in the room were the children. For one morning, almost everyone present seemed to agree.
The symposium, themed “Equipping the Nigerian Child for the Future: How Prepared Are We?”, was jointly organised by UNICEF, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence. While the event celebrated World Children’s Day, it felt less like a festival and more like a national reckoning. Mr Eze Anaba, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, did not mince words. “Nigeria is in a state of emergency,” he said. “At no other time in our history, except during the civil war, has the condition of our children been this uncertain.” He cited school abductions, 10 to 20 million out-of-school children—the highest number in any country—millions of zero-dose children who have never received a single vaccine, persistent malnutrition, and the recruitment of minors by armed groups. “What happens to our children happens to Nigeria,” he added, and the line resonated across the room.
Ms Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, presented the stark numbers. Under-five mortality, once near 200 per 1,000 live births in 1990, now sits around 100—still among the highest globally. Full immunization coverage has tripled in two decades, yet more than two million children remain unvaccinated annually. Birth registration has improved, but millions of children still do not legally exist. Three out of four children who reach age ten cannot read a simple text. Forty-eight million Nigerians still practice open defecation. “We have made progress,” she said, measured but firm, “but if we continue at this pace, we will lose generations.”
The mood shifted when schoolchildren performed Unstoppable. As the last note faded, Tinafi Akawo, a seventeen-year-old visually impaired coder and child-rights activist, walked to the stage. “Thank you very much. Good to see you,” he said, smiling at an audience he could only discern. Tinafi spoke of artificial intelligence and blockchain as the backbone of the child’s future. He outlined AI-based security systems capable of detecting anomalies and alerting authorities before school kidnappings occur. “Imagine a system that alerts authorities before any attempt happens,” he said. “This could significantly reduce the number of kidnappings in our country.”
He also highlighted digital exclusion, urging policies that train young Nigerians in AI and machine learning to place the country on the global map. “I am visually impaired. I developed an app that lets blind people navigate using a smartphone camera. This is just me. There are thousands more children with ideas that never leave their rooms.” He closed by urging the media to be the voice of children and push the government to nurture talent. As Cobhams Asuquo’s Unstoppable played again, Tinafi left the stage to sustained applause, crystallising the central theme: Nigerian children are unstoppable if given the opportunity.
A panel moderated by Dr Chinonso Egemba (Aproko Doctor) pressed duty bearers to account for daily gaps. Ronak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative, explained that interventions follow data, not sentiment. About 90% of Lagos households have clean water access, compared with less than 10% in Kebbi. “No child chooses where they are born. A child in Maiduguri deserves the same chance as a child in Lagos,” he said.
Mrs Mariam Fitumi Shaibu, Deputy Director of Child Development at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, highlighted initiatives with nationwide potential: the National Commission on Out-of-School Children, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in eighteen states, the Lumina Project linking maternal economic empowerment to girls’ education, and the forthcoming national policy on menstrual health and hygiene management.
Mr Henshaw Ogubuike, with editors Ehi Braimah and Ijeoma Popoola, reminded the room that political will and implementation, not policy, remain the biggest gaps. In 2025, some SS3 students still sit on bare floors. Laws alone cannot replace intentional parenting or combat poverty and cultural pressures pushing girls into early marriage. Michel Deelen, Consul General of the Netherlands, delivered a pointed message. “Macroeconomic numbers can look better,” he said, “but as long as schools have no roofs, no water, no teachers, nothing goes better. That is a disgrace.” He noted that part of the Netherlands’ UNICEF funding supports water, sanitation, hygiene, and adolescent entrepreneurship initiatives. “The future is bright. The future is you. But we must steer it in the right direction.”
By morning’s end, editors made public commitments. Mr Anaba vowed to keep child rights on the front burner. Mr Braimah pledged dedicated columns and investigative reporting. Beneath the pledges lay a sober truth: by 2050, Nigeria will have the third-largest child population globally. If today’s out-of-school children become tomorrow’s unemployed, traumatized, or radicalized adults, the consequences will extend far beyond Nigeria. The children have demonstrated talent and determination. The challenge now falls on adults to provide the policies, resources, and guidance that will ensure Nigerian children remain truly unstoppable.
