The United Nations Children’s Fund praised Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Tuesday for signing the Child Protection Bill into law.
The bill was signed in a ceremony attended by Edward Kallon, the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, on Monday.
UNICEF welcomed the new legislation in Sokoto as a “major step forward for children’s rights in Nigeria” in a statement headlined “UNICEF welcomes signing of Child Protection Bill into law in Sokoto State”.
Tambuwal signed the bill into law 18 years after the Federal Government of Nigeria passed the Child Rights Act of 2003, urging state governments to adopt the legislation.
According to the governor, cultural and lifestyle differences made implementing the Child Rights Act in 2003 in the state a challenge.
“We congratulate the Governor of Sokoto and, most importantly, the children of Sokoto for the passage into law of the Child Protection Bill,” Peter Hawkins, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, said.
“This is a major step forward for children’s rights across the state and sets an example for the states remaining that have not yet domesticated the Child Rights Act 2003 to do so as quickly as possible.
“It also sends a clear signal that child rights measures must be implemented across Sokoto and in all states to ensure the rights and well-being of all children, whomever and wherever they may be,” he added.
The States of Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kano, and Zamfara have yet to implement the Act.
