The Executive Director of the Advancing Children’s Rights Initiative, Muhammad Sabo-Keana, has called for stronger government investment in child protection and social services, saying existing laws alone are not enough to safeguard vulnerable children.
Sabo-Keana said Nigeria already has legal frameworks such as the Child Rights Act and anti-trafficking laws, but weak implementation continues to limit their impact.
According to him, poverty, poor access to quality education and weak social protection systems remain major factors driving child labour and street begging across the country.
He noted that many children are forced onto the streets because of economic hardship faced by their families, inadequate educational facilities and shortages of qualified teachers in some communities.
Sabo-Keana warned that without addressing these underlying challenges, existing child protection laws will continue to have limited effect.
He stressed the need for increased funding for education, dedicated child protection budgets at state and local government levels, and stronger social welfare programmes to support vulnerable households.
The child rights advocate added that meaningful investment in children is essential to improving their welfare and securing the country’s future development.
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