President Bola Tinubu and state governors have celebrated Nigeria’s children, who they described as bearers of the nation’s torch into the future.
They spoke yeterday at events to mark this year’s International Children’s Day celebration.
Tinubu, in a statement by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, rejoiced with parents, guardians, and families across the nation, and called for a reinforcement of the family unit as a place where the sacred values of honesty, modesty, hard work and charity are passed down to the shining lights of tomorrow.
Tinubu affirmed that society is a reflection of each family unit as a collective, and urged the preservation of those principles that make it wholesome, nurturing and thriving.
The president stated that his administration is sparing no effort in ensuring that Nigeria’s children have a solid footing for the realisation of their dreams.
With increased investments in education, and the recent overhauling of the entire education system to provide both human and material resources for learning, as well as the efforts of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children Education to get the nation’s children off the streets, the President emphasised that his administration will continue to expand access to qualitative education for all Nigerians.
Tinubu reassured the nation of his commitment to ensuring a safe and secure ambience of learning for the children while improving the standard of education.
In Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang has extended his heartfelt felicitations to the children of Plateau, Nigeria, and beyond, on the occasion of the 2024 Children’s Day celebration.
Governor Mutfwang, in a statement signed by the director of press and public affairs, Mr. Gyang Bere, lauded the resilience, dedication, and unwavering determination of Nigerian children in pursuit of their lofty aspirations, despite the challenges they encounter in their educational journey.
He urged parents to embrace their role as primary nurturers of the children by instilling the values of integrity and godliness in them, while advocating for mentorship under the guidance of teachers and altruistic individuals, to collectively nurture a society imbued with moral rectitude and devoid of crime.
Mutfwang highlighted the strides made by his administration over the past year by instituting robust frameworks and prioritising the restoration of quality education in the state, by catering to the needs of children and the burgeoning youth population.
The governor warned perpetrators of child trafficking, child labour, violence against children, or any form of abuse, of the uncompromising stance of his administration, promising swift and decisive action against such transgressors.
Similarly, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said his administration is determined to continue to implement programmes and policies that seek to protect the rights of every Kwara child and support their development.
On the occasion of the 2024 Children’s Day, the governor said the children and their general well-being are central to his government, hence the priority.
The governor, who spoke through the commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. John Bello, highlighted some of the programmes his government had executed to transform the education sector in the state, including investments in basic infrastructure.
“This administration renovated and constructed thousands of classrooms, hired thousands of quality teachers, and equipped many of them with ICT centres across public schools in the 16 local governments of the state,” he said.
“Just recently, our administration set up the Child Right Implementation committee to identify what the rights of our children are, with a view to protecting those rights and catering for the general wellbeing of every child,” the governor added.
AbdulRazaq called on parents, community leaders and other key stakeholders to play their roles in moulding the children in a way that they will become useful to themselves and the society.