President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the rights, dreams, and futures of every Nigerian child, as the nation marks the 2025 International Children’s Day today.

In an address to children across the country on Tuesday, the President described them as “the pride and future of our great nation,” underscoring the government’s moral, constitutional, and inter-generational duty to ensure their protection, development, and safety.

“Our children are the most precious part of our national fabric, the heartbeat of our nation’s future, and the custodians of tomorrow’s promise, innovation, and leadership,” He said.

This year’s Children’s Day theme, “Stand Up, Speak Up: Building a Bullying-Free Generation,” was lauded by the President as timely, reflecting the need to foster a culture where every child feels safe, respected, and heard, both in physical and digital spaces.

“Violence, bullying, and neglect have no place in the Nigeria of today,” he declared, citing global statistics that show over one in three children experience bullying, with Nigerian studies estimating up to 65% of school-age children affected by various forms of aggression.

“A child who learns in fear cannot learn well. A child who grows in fear cannot grow right,” the President stressed.

Tinubu highlighted key measures under the Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at addressing these challenges.

These include the implementation of the National Plan of Action on Ending Violence Against Children (2024–2030), the review of the Child Rights Act (2003) and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015), and full enforcement of the Cyber-crime Act to combat cyber-bullying and online abuse.