As we mark Children’s Day 2025, Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) commends the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Disabled for organizing a vital workshop on child protection.
In a press release issued by the Nafisa Shehu Ibrahim Executive Administrator Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR).*
The statement narrates that the workshop was held on May 12th and 13th, which brought together community leaders and civil society organizations to raise awareness and promote the rights and safety of children across Kano State.
This important initiative comes at a critical time, especially considering concerns raised earlier this year in an article published on January 24, 2025, by The Punch newspaper, titled *”UNICEF decries high out-of-school children rate in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina.”* The article reported that during a briefing to mark the 2025 edition of International Day of Education, Mr. Rahama Farah, Chief of the UNICEF Field Office in Kano, stated: “While North-West Nigeria has the second highest out-of-school rate in Nigeria, the situation of the out-of-school population in Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states is alarming.”
He further referenced the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, revealing that 32% of primary school growing age children in Kano are out of school.
He added that nationally there are about 10.2 million out-of-school children at the primary level, with 16% of them from Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina, amounting to 989,234 children in Kano, 536,112 in Katsina, and 337,861 in Jigawa.
This worrying data reinforces the importance of the Child Protection Law and related efforts as the law makes it a criminal offense to deny a child access to education, engage them into hawking, begging, or hard labor.
It also prohibits sexual abuse, excessive punishment, exploitation as domestic workers, and the use of children in political activities.
It guarantees every child the right to free and compulsory education at both basic and secondary levels.
Beyond education, the law safeguards children’s rights to life, health, mental and physical well being. It ensures access to quality healthcare and a safe, supportive environment.
It also affirms the right of every child to play, recreation, and age appropriate participation in social life, as well as the right to love, care, and protection from parents or guardians.
We urge the Ministry to take the next step by turning the workshop’s recommendations into concrete action.
A crucial part of this effort is ensuring widespread public awareness of the law and its provisions throughout Kano State, so that all citizens and residents; parents, guardians, communities, and institutions are well informed and empowered to uphold children’s rights.
CHR reaffirms its commitment to working with the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Disabled, as well as with all stakeholders, to ensure that every child in Kano State is protected, well nurtured and given the opportunity to thrive.
