World Children’s Day: UNICEF, Cobhams Asuquo Urge Govt To Commit More Funds To Education

The United Nations Children’s Fund and Nigeria’s international entertainer, Cobhams Asuquo, have urged government to allocate more funds to education, thereby providing quality education for every Nigerian child.

This was disclosed on Wednesday at the World children’s day event which took place at Government secondary school, Garki, Abuja.

The event was to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the United nations convention of the rights of the children as well as the African charter for rights and welfare of children.

Asuquo, who spoke at the event, said that government needs to provide more funds for education so that children will be able to go to quality schools that will empower them to become assets to the world.

He also urged government and relevant stakeholders to ensure that every child is treated right and that they should ensure that the rights of children are protected.

“There is always much to be done. Government is focused on so many things and we need to turn more attention to the plights of children.

“A lot more can be done in terms of budgetary allocation for education and in terms of implementation of policies that protects the rights of children,” he said.

To the children, he said that although the wrongs caused by many people in the older generation is speaking today, the Nigerian child should use that as a stepping stone towards making the nation a peaceful, united and prosperous one.

In his remarks, the UN representative to Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, pointed out that basic services like education, good hospitals and a good society should be the core aim of government and all relevant stakeholders as that will create better society for all.

“The platforms are the service developed for the children, like education, health services, child protection and social welfare services are there for the children to use to be able to have a good future,” he said.

He also stressed that teachers, who should be respected, plays a fundamental role in the future of children, as well as the nation.

“Without our teachers we will not learn and we will not have a future. Thank you to all the teachers of this world,” he mentioned.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which includes right to life, survival, development and protection from abuse and neglect, is a legally-binding international agreement that states the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities.