As Nigeria marks the 2025 edition of Children?s Day, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has called on leaders at all levels to intensify efforts towards securing a better future for children by tackling illiteracy, promoting peace, and creating a safe and enabling environment for all children to thrive.

In a statement released to commemorate the Day by her Special Assistant on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communications, Desmond Utomwen, the presidential aide declared that the well-being of children remains central to Nigeria?s development agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

?Leaders at all levels must continue to work assiduously to break the shackles of illiteracy, promote peace and make the world a beautiful place for our children to live in. Our children deserve to grow up in a society where their dreams can blossom, their voices are heard, and their rights are protected.?

Orelope-Adefulire reaffirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?s administration is making strategic and impactful investments in critical sectors to improve the quality of life and opportunities available to children across the country. She noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, the Federal Government is expanding access to quality education through school rehabilitation programmes, increased funding for basic education, and the scaling up of initiatives that promote enrolment, especially for the girl child.

Princess Orelope-Adefulire also highlighted the complementary efforts of her office, OSSAP-SDGs, in delivering integrated, people-centred interventions targeted at the most vulnerable, particularly children and adolescents. These include the construction and equipping of over 12,000 model classroom blocks, digital learning centres and fully equipped healthcare facilities in underserved rural communities nationwide.

?In line with SDGs 3 and 4, which focus on good health and quality education, OSSAP-SDGs has worked with federal and subnational partners to improve learning conditions, enhance access to primary healthcare for children, and promote hygiene and nutrition in schools,? she said.

She added that her office has also supported capacity-building and advocacy efforts aimed at preventing child abuse, eliminating harmful practices, and empowering young people with life skills that will prepare them for future leadership and contribution to society.

The SSAP-SDGs noted that while progress is being made, many Nigerian children still face the harsh realities of poverty, conflict, displacement and inequality. She reiterated the need for stronger multi-sectoral partnerships to reach those furthest behind, especially out-of-school children, children in IDP camps, and those affected by insurgency in parts of the country.

?This year?s celebration should serve as a moment of reflection and renewed commitment to those children whose rights and futures remain under threat,? she said. ?We must redouble our efforts to ensure that no child is left behind, regardless of their circumstances.?

Orelope-Adefulire urged leaders across all spheres; including government, private sector, religious institutions, civil society, and international partners to deepen their commitment to child-centred development. ?There can be no meaningful progress without deliberate and sustained investment in the well-being of our children. The future of Nigeria and the achievement of the SDGs depend on how we nurture today?s young generation,? she stated.

She encouraged children across the country to remain hopeful and committed to their education and dreams, assuring them that the government is taking strategic steps to build a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Nigeria for them to grow, learn and thrive.

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