FG Urged To Prioritise Child Rights In Budgeting

The Erudite Growth and Advancement Foundation (Ergaf-Africa) has urged the federal government to prioritise children’s rights in national and subnational budgetary processes.

The call was made through its flagship initiative, Project Hope Alive, during a press briefing in Abuja before the 2025 Day of the African Child (DAC) celebration. This year’s global theme is “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010.”

Speaking at the event, Queen Ala Dokubo, Deputy National Coordinator of Ergaf-Africa, stressed the need to convert policy commitments into tangible investments that improve the lives of Nigerian children.

“This year’s DAC celebration is pivotal for child-centred policy reform in Nigeria. It’s time to transform public budgeting into a tool for equity, protection, and access to education,” she said.

Established in 1991 by the African Union to commemorate the 1976 Soweto Uprising, DAC has evolved into a key advocacy platform promoting the rights and well-being of African children.

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The 2025 theme calls on African nations to critically assess the progress made in child-sensitive budgeting since 2010.

“As we commemorate the Day of the African Child 2025, we call on policymakers, educators, philanthropists, and citizens to commit to transforming promises into progress. No child should be invisible in our national budget,” Dokubo added.

Also speaking at the event on behalf of Ergaf-Africa’s President, Ambassador Chibuzo Okereke, data analyst Raphael Tarbo said, “The theme underscores the need for African governments to allocate resources and implement policies that uphold children’s welfare. We commend the House of Representatives for debating a bill to establish a commission on child affairs, but lasting impact requires collective national commitment.”

Project Hope Alive began as a community development project under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2013 and has since grown into a nationwide movement. It has reached over 10,000 underprivileged students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through scholarships, learning material donations, and advocacy programs.

Past DAC commemorations have featured policy dialogues with lawmakers, cultural showcases, STEM-focused career coaching, and humanitarian outreach. Highlights include scholarship distribution, educational material donations, civic education programs, and the Abuja Walk4Literacy campaign.

This year’s event targets over 4,500 schoolchildren in the FCT. It will culminate in an official outcome statement calling for increased education and child welfare funding, legislative backing for child-inclusive budgeting, and expanded platforms for child participation.

Ergaf-Africa collaborates with national and international partners, including the African Union ECOSOC, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), Nigeria’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, and several civil society organisations. Media partners such as NTA, Channels Television, TVC News, and Arise News have also significantly amplified its message.

The DAC 2025 planning committee is expected to unveil a comprehensive program of activities in the coming weeks, focusing on policy dialogue, grassroots engagement, and equitable access to education and protection for every Nigerian child.