Minister mulls creation of agency for women, children’s rights

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has mooted the establishment of a Child Development and Protection Agency (CDPA) to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of children’s rights and welfare policies in Nigeria.

This was the outcome of a crucial meeting with the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) management team who paid her a courtesy visit at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of its children.

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In a statement signed by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Jonathan Eze, the Minister reportedly emphasized the urgent need for a dedicated, implementing arm that will work closely with law enforcement agencies, detention centres, remand homes, and other child protection institutions to ensure the effective enforcement of child rights laws.

“The Ministry is overwhelmed with implementation tasks when, in fact, our core mandate is to design and supervise policies for the government. This is why we need the Child Development and Protection Agency, which will take on implementation, allowing us to focus on policy-making,” Hajiya Imaan stated.

A key driver of this initiative is the Child Rights Act Review, which will give legal backing to the establishment of the agency. The Minister outlined a roadmap, starting with the development of a zero draft, followed by extensive consultations over the next two to three months. The proposed framework will be presented as an Executive Bill, with active collaboration from the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President.

Highlighting the urgency of this initiative, the Minister stressed that Nigeria’s global standing is closely tied to how it treats its most vulnerable citizens—its children. “Every country is judged by how it protects its vulnerable groups, and our children are the most vulnerable. This agency is not optional; it is something we must do.”

The Minister also announced plans to train a dedicated pool of 100 to 200 child protection lawyers who will work at both state and federal levels, ensuring proper legal representation for cases related to adoption, child protection, and welfare issues.

Additionally, she reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership role in ECOWAS Women and Children Affairs, revealing that the country will host the first-ever regional meeting for women and children in West Africa, supported by UN Women.

Furthermore, she underscored the critical link between child protection and birth registration, emphasizing that Universal Cash Grant initiatives cannot be effectively implemented without a proper child identification system. She stressed the need for stringent data access regulations to protect vulnerable children, particularly those affected by insurgency.

“The time to act is now. We must come together to create a strong and sustainable framework for the protection of Nigerian children. With the support of UNICEF and other key stakeholders, we are taking a bold step towards a future where every child is safeguarded, empowered, and given the opportunity to thrive,” the Minister concluded.

On his part, the Regional Director, West and Central Africa, Mr Gilles Fagninou commended the efforts of the Minister in driving the mandates of the ministry, especially in her quest against sexual and gender-based violence against women, children and vulnerable groups.

He assured the Minister of UNICEF’s support and collaboration in creating impacts and improving the welfare of children in Nigeria. Other members of the team included the Country Representative, Cristian Mundiate, Ibrahim Sesay, Chief of Child Protection, Mona Aika, the Child Protection Manager among others.