Ahead of the 2021 Children’s Day celebration, LEADERSHIP Group Ltd. and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have called for greater attention to child’s rights protection.
The organisations made the call at the commencement of activities to mark a special May 27 publication, aimed at giving voice to the children’s COVID-19 experience.
The publication, which is the first of its kind for a print media organisation in Nigeria, features ten students representing five schools in the Abuja metropolis and is expected to give the children the privilege of producing a special pullout that would include riddles, jokes and poetry, amongst others.
At the opening of the three-day programme, which also had in attendance representatives of the FCT Secondary Education Board, the UNICEF country director, Peter Hawkins, said LEADERSHIP’s actions effectively addressed Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on Children’s Rights.
Represented by Geoffery Njoku, Hawkins said the medium is the first print medium to embark on such a project of giving voice to children.
“I am happy that LEADERSHIP, out of its own volition, is working on a special project like this. Article 12 states that the children have the right to form their own views and express their views freely through the media on matters affecting them.
“This is spot-on, what you are doing. Article 13 states, “The child has the right to freedom of expression, and these rights shall include freedom to seek, receive information and ideas either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through other media of the child’s choice.”
He underlined the importance of the ongoing programme for children, noting that they were the most affected by the pandemic.
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