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UNICEF has called on Lagos State lawmakers to make concrete, time-bound commitments to improve the lives of children, warning that global setbacks in child rights must not be allowed to define the Lagos experience.
Speaking at the World Children’s Day Policy Dialogue with Legislators and Children’s Arts Exhibition held at the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex in Alausa on Thursday, Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, urged state leaders to translate children’s concerns into actionable policy decisions.
Lafoucriere delivered the keynote remark before a gathering of lawmakers, government officials, and children from different parts of Lagos. She acknowledged Lagos State’s strong track record—particularly in birth registration—stating, “When you decide that children matter, you prove it.” But she also emphasised that global trends threaten hard-won progress.
According to her, worldwide cuts in funding for child-focused programmes could lead to 4.5 million additional child deaths by 2030, six million more children out of school by 2026, and leave over 200 million children in urgent need of support.
“This is the world we are operating in right now,” she said. “But it does not have to be our Lagos story.”
Lafoucriere highlighted issues raised by children—hunger, lack of school toilets, absence of learning materials, unsafe environments, and exclusion from decision-making processes. This year’s theme, “My Day. My Rights,” she said, reflects the lived realities of children, not theory.
“You are sitting in the House of Assembly, the place where laws are made, budgets are approved, and priorities are set. You have the power to change their lives today,” she told legislators.
The UNICEF representative called for *specific commitments* from lawmakers, including timelines for repairing schools, expanding digital learning to remote communities, strengthening health services and insurance coverage, and institutionalizing children’s participation in policy matters.
“Every child you invest in becomes a healthier, smarter, more productive adult,” she noted, adding that UNICEF stands ready to support Lagos State in fulfilling the rights of every child.
As the dialogue concluded, Lafoucriere urged leaders to ensure that the event produces visible improvements in children’s daily lives: “Let us leave here with actions that children can see and feel. Let us show them what leadership looks like. Itesiwaju Eko!”
The event was attended by the Chair of the House Committee on Youths and Social Development, Hon. Abiodun Orekoya; the Lagos State Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende; and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Pharm. Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, among other dignitaries.
Ayodimeji Olugbusi,
News Producer, News Central TV
