The Education Rights Campaign has criticised President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria’s ruling class over what it described as the worsening condition of children across the country amid rising insecurity and economic difficulties.
The group called on organised labour to embark on a nationwide strike and mass protest in response to the situation.
In a Children’s Day statement jointly signed by the Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjimi Isaac, and the National Mobilisation Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, the organisation described this year’s commemoration as “gory” for many children allegedly affected by terrorism, poverty and hardship.
The campaign referenced the May 15 attack on schools in the Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed men reportedly kidnapped 39 students alongside seven teachers. According to the group, one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the attackers, while another teacher lost his life during the incident.
The ERC accused both the Federal Government and the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde of failing to address the growing insecurity in the country. It further alleged that political leaders were more concerned about preparations for the 2027 general elections than the welfare and safety of citizens.
The organisation also attributed the hardship facing children to the nation’s economic challenges, blaming what it termed the Tinubu administration’s “anti-people and neoliberal policies” for increasing levels of poverty, hunger, and limited access to quality healthcare and education.
Citing international reports, the campaign claimed that millions of Nigerian children are battling malnutrition and disease. It added that Nigeria remains among the countries with some of the highest rates of child poverty and stunted growth worldwide.
The ERC further expressed concern that many children now live under the constant threat of abduction, noting that several of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram over a decade ago are still being held captive.
The group also faulted the political leadership for allegedly failing to curb insecurity despite huge budgetary allocations to the security sector and billions of naira reportedly invested in initiatives such as the Safe School programme.
As part of its demands, the campaign urged the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria to mobilise workers and citizens for nationwide industrial action and protests against insecurity and economic hardship.
The organisation additionally proposed the establishment of a pan-Nigerian, multi-ethnic community defence structure to collaborate with security agencies in safeguarding schools and communities. It maintained that insecurity would persist if issues such as poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment are not properly addressed alongside military efforts.
