The Dilemma Of The Nigerian Child

A few days ago I saw a picture of young children drinking very dirty water. I was touched because that was not the first time I was seeing young kids passing through harsh conditions.

The Nigerian children are the hope of tomorrow. They are the future of this great country. We must thrive to protect the rights of the Nigerian child. We must think about our children. The Nigerian child has the right to clean water, health-care, clothing, shelter, food, leisure and many more.

The children of Nigeria must be given due priority. It is rather unfortunate that children from 3-15 are out of school and in most cases are street hawkers or beggars. It is a national disgrace that children that are meant to be the hope and future of this great country are hawking in the streets.

In big cities like Lagos and Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. Kids street hawking is very pronounced. In Abuja, driving through Nyanya and down to the popupar AYA round about, hawking by children to survive is the order of the day. It is very pertinent that in other parts of Nigeria like Calabar, kids are visibly seen begging to earn a living. And in most cases they are seen unkempt, dirty,  and harrasing members of the public for money. The government must rise up to the plight of Nigerian child. There is the need to provide proper health-care for the Nigerian child. In the north east, children are now used to detonate bombs and perperate great pain on the members of the public.

I do not blame these children who allow themselves to be used. Most of them find it very difficult to feed. Some sleep under bridges, and are always very unhappy. How do you expect a child who has never experienced love to give out love? That child since he/she has never enjoyed being loved can never give out love. The child will only work to destroy the society.

These children are exposed to the worst of conditions. They are attacked, lured into all forms of social vices and at times they become a menace to the society.

The Nigerian child must be provided for. Listening to the problems and plight of these kids makes me cry. I remember, sometime ago I went to the bank to use the ATM and I was harassed by these street kids for money. The hope and future of our nation lies in the hearts of our children. We can not afford to pretend all is well when our children are hungry. The Nigerian child must never again be allowed to suffer untold hardship.

The government must rise up to her responsibility and save our children. The government and relevant bodies must understand that it is only when we provide solid education for our children, only then would we be winning the war against poverty in Nigeria.

I get pained when I see children sitting on the ground to learn in our schools today. A child who sits on the ground to learn can not add value. No matter how you teach that child he/she can not get imparted by the teacher. The educational system needs to be revamped.

It is no news today that most children go to school without food. A child who goes to school with an empty stomach will never pay attention to the teacher. There is an urgent need to provide at least one meal in schools across the nation.

Today, in Nigeria, the girl child is seen being molested, raped, coerce into prostitution as a result of poverty, hunger and hardship. The government through the ministry of women Affairs and Social Welfare must as a matter of urgent educate the girl child. There is the need for regular mentoring of the girl child in Nigeria. No nation can do well without the support of her women and so, the girl child must be brought up to commit apar with their colleagues in the western world.

To surmount  these problem the Nigerian children go through, a lot must be done. The situation of street kids is a pitiable one . It is a case for both the government and non-governmental organizations to come together in bringing succor to the street kids in Nigeria. All hands must be on deck in giving the Nigerian child a better life.