The Federal Government Ministry of Women Affairs and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) inaugurated the harmonized case management tools for child protection nationwide yesterday, 26th October 2023.
Mrs Uju Ohaneye, minister of women’s affairs, signed the tools and commitment to implement integrated case management tools for vulnerable children and their caregivers with all 36 state commissioners in attendance.
She urged the commissioners to use these tools to ensure that the vulnerable children in each state are protected.
She explained that there are increasing cases of abuse, violence, maltreatment, and harmful traditional practices affecting children, so these tools are designed to protect children from them.
What She Said
- “Those children are our children; every child belongs to the state. So, if any child has been maltreated, you have every right to fight for the child that is been maltreated.”
- “We have to work together, let everyone be involved.”
UNICEF Deputy Country Representative, Ronak Khan, said the tool would aid in addressing the plight of vulnerable children especially those at the grassroots.
What She Said
- “As we know, there is a report that came out recently that reveals the prolonged armed conflict in Northeast Nigeria.”
- “It has cost the national economy over 100 billion dollars in the last 13 years. It has displaced children and families leading to child abductions which deprives reunification, rehabilitation and reinterpretation.”
- “All should be managed through the case management system; so, until we have a robust case management system, this will not be possible. This is equally applicable to regular development issues.”
Why It Matters
These tools are what the federal government needs to effectively implement policies and strategies to take care of vulnerable children.
With the tools, the government and UNICEF would be able to know where the affected children are coming from, services that would be rendered to them the results of the services and how effective they are.
