Children’s Day 2025: President Tinubu Calls for National Unity Against Bullying, Reaffirms Child Welfare Priorities

As Nigeria observes International Children’s Day on May 27, 2025, President Bola Tinubu has issued a powerful call to action to protect the nation’s children from violence, bullying, and neglect.

Speaking directly to children across the country, Tinubu described them as “the pride and future of our great nation,” emphasizing the government’s duty to ensure their safety and development.

The President praised this year’s theme, “Stand Up, Speak Up: Building a Bullying-Free Generation,” as a timely reminder of the challenges children face. Citing global and local data, he revealed that over one-third of children worldwide experience bullying, with Nigerian figures alarmingly high at 65% among school-age children.

“A child who learns in fear cannot learn well. A child who grows in fear cannot grow right,” Tinubu said, stressing the detrimental impact of bullying on children’s growth and education.

To tackle these issues, Tinubu outlined several key initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda. These include the National Plan of Action on Ending Violence Against Children (2024–2030), legislative reviews of the Child Rights Act and Violence Against Persons Act, and strict enforcement of the Cybercrime Act to address online harassment.

Highlighting the importance of collective responsibility, the President launched the “See Something, Say Something, Do Something” campaign, urging Nigerians to become active child protection champions. “Laws alone will not be sufficient to protect our children,” he said, calling on parents, teachers, faith leaders, and lawmakers to take ownership.

Tinubu also detailed the deployment of the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) to enable real-time responses to abuse cases, alongside community-based protection initiatives and awareness campaigns targeting harmful traditional practices.

Further commitments include the establishment of a dedicated Department of Nutrition within the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, expansion of Mother and Child Hospitals across all geopolitical zones, and the rollout of a National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Schools.

The President reaffirmed ongoing support for School Feeding Schemes and the Nutrition 774 programme, as well as the development of a National Child Wellbeing Index to ensure accountability.

In a direct message to children, Tinubu said, “You matter. Your dreams matter. Your voices matter. No one has the right to hurt, silence, or diminish you. If you are bullied or harmed, speak up—you will be heard and protected.”

He concluded by urging stakeholders to integrate child rights into all policies and budgets, envisioning a Nigeria where “no child suffers in silence, no child is left behind, and every child grows in dignity, peace, and love.”