The Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru, has urged parents to give more attention to the welfare of their children.
He said neglecting children would endanger the future of the nation and expose the society to criminal activities.
A statement on Thursday said Badru made the remarks at a Spelling Bee and Reading competition held in Lagos.
He said, "Children are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but the perpetrators of civilisation, and no nation which aspires to greatness ever toys with the future of the children.
We must therefore do everything within our powers to secure their future by giving them all they need mentally and spiritually to unleash their potential for the development of the country."
Co-founder of Bake for Change, Nkem Begho, however, decried the level of illiteracy among children in the country, saying the government must take radical steps to salvage the situation.
Nkem said the current educational statistics of the country were shameful.
She said, "We recently saw statistics by UNESCO that say 10.5million Nigerian children do not have access to schools. We need to reduce this number."
The Punch