The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has assured that it will continue to partner with government and other stakeholders to meet the agenda 2040, to make Nigeria and Africa fit for children.
The UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, Mr Maulid Warfa, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Kano after a football match organised in collaboration with Kano SUBEB, to commemorate the 2021 Day of the African Child (DAC).
The theme for this year is titled: “Accelerate implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children”.
Warfa recalled that the Assembly of Heads of States and Government of the then Organisation of African Union (OAU), instituted the day in 1991, in memory of June 16, 1976 students uprising in Soweto, South Africa.
“At that time, students marched in protest against the poor quality of education they were receiving and demanded to be taught in their languages.
“The protesting students were gunned down by the then security agents of the Apartheid Regime.
“The DAC serves to commemorate these children and the brave action they took in defense of their rights,” he said.
He said that day was further adopted by African Committee of Experts Review on the Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) in 2016, with the theme: “Agenda 2040: Fostering an Africa fit for children.”
According to him, the Agenda 2040 has 10 aspirations, all of which are geared toward the attainment of highest level of the well-being of children in Africa.
Warfa said that UNICEF would continue partnering with other stakeholders in the core sectors of health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and child protection.
“UNICEF is also working with government and partners to mitigate the impact of disasters and emergencies on children, including armed conflicts,” he said.
The officer advised parents to give children only breast milk for in the first six months of life, register children’s births, protect them from all forms of violence and teach them regular hand washing.
The football match was played between four teams, which were, Education, Health and Nutrition, Child Protection and WASH.
At the end of the game, team WASH emerged first position and, therefore, lifted the trophy.
