APPRAISAL OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR PROTECTING RIGHTS OF THE CHILD AND THE ROLE OF UNICEF IN PROMOTING RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IN NIGERIA

APPRAISAL OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR PROTECTING RIGHTS OF THE CHILD AND THE ROLE OF UNICEF IN PROMOTING RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IN NIGERIA

Abstract:

United Nations Children Fund is an international Institution that deals with the promotion and protection of the rights of children in times of peace and during emergency situations. Restrictively, this thesis aimed at studying the activities of UNICEF in the promotion and protection of the Rights of the child in Nigeria. The sources of information relied upon are, relevant books, statutes, judicial authorities, articles in Journal publications, newspapers, magazines, and conference and internet materials. The justification for these theses is that, despite the long years of UNICEF’s presence in Nigeria, the situation of the Nigerian child is still very poor. In addition, of recent, many crises have subjected children in Nigeria to untold hardship and reduced them to objects of sympathy, especially, the ongoing Boko Haram crisis in the North-Eastern part of the country where children are involved in calamities along with adults, but painfully, children being vulnerable and defenceless are exposed to all manners of hardship and suffering. Thus, in view of this, the objective of this thesis is to identify the activates of UNICEF that will promote, protect the rights of the child as well as alleviate the suffering of children in Emergency situations in Nigeria. Thus the finding of this research among others is that due to the mandate of UNICEF as an inter-governmental agency, the Fund, although an agency dedicated solely to children, ironically has limited interaction with children and thus lacks practical experience in dealing with children. In view of this, the research was concluded by recommending among others that UNICEF should encourage Child Participation in all its programs as well as initiate programs that will increase direct interaction with children.

APPRAISAL OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR PROTECTING RIGHTS OF THE CHILD AND THE ROLE OF UNICEF IN PROMOTING RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IN NIGERIA