Plateau CPN Urges Action Over Performative Children’s Day Celebrations
The Plateau State Child Protection Network (CPN) has warned that Nigeria cannot truly celebrate Children’s Day while thousands of children remain trapped in abuse, trafficking, hazardous labour and institutional neglect. CPN Coordinator Sandra Dirmwa Chikan challenged government, parents and communities to move beyond symbolic events and confront daily reports of trafficking, sexual abuse, forced labour and rising drug addiction among out-of-school children in mining areas. While commending the establishment of the Child Rights Implementation Committee, Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and new data office in the Ministry of Women Affairs, the network stressed these structures need immediate funding and operational support to rescue children in crisis. CPN also demanded state-funded transit shelters, stricter monitoring of orphanages and quarterly stakeholder accountability meetings. "When you see a child in need and turn a blind eye, you are not neutral. You are fanning the flames of abuse," it stated.
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