As Nigeria celebrates the 2025 edition of Children’s Day, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs), has urged leaders at all levels to intensify their efforts in securing a brighter future for children by addressing illiteracy, promoting peace, and creating safe environments conducive to children’s growth.
In a statement released to mark the occasion by her Special Assistant on Media, Publicity, and Strategic Communications, Desmond Utomwen, the presidential aide asserted that the well-being of children is central to Nigeria’s developmental agenda and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Leaders must continue to work diligently to break the chains of illiteracy, promote peace, and make the world a beautiful place for our children,” she stated. “Our children deserve to grow up in a society where their dreams can flourish, their voices are heard, and their rights are safeguarded.”
Orelope-Adefulire reiterated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is making strategic and impactful investments in critical sectors to enhance the quality of life and opportunities available to children nationwide. She noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, the Federal Government is expanding access to quality education through school rehabilitation programmes, increased funding for basic education, and initiatives aimed at boosting enrolment, particularly for the girl child.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire also emphasised her office’s complementary efforts, the OSSAP-SDGs, in delivering integrated, people-centred interventions aimed at the most vulnerable, especially children and adolescents. These initiatives include the construction and equipping of over 12,000 model classroom blocks, digital learning centres, and fully equipped healthcare facilities in underserved rural communities across the country.
“In accordance with SDGs 3 and 4, which focus on good health and quality education, OSSAP-SDGs has collaborated with federal and subnational partners to enhance learning conditions, improve access to primary healthcare for children, and promote hygiene and nutrition in schools,” she explained.
She added that her office has also supported capacity-building and advocacy efforts aimed at preventing child abuse, eliminating harmful practices, and equipping young people with the life skills necessary for future leadership and societal contributions.
The SSAP-SDGs acknowledged that while progress is being made, many Nigerian children still confront the harsh realities of poverty, conflict, displacement, and inequality. She reiterated the necessity for stronger multi-sectoral partnerships to reach those furthest behind, particularly out-of-school children, those in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and those affected by insurgency in various regions of the country.
“This year’s celebration should serve as a moment of reflection and renewed commitment to those children whose rights and futures remain at risk,” she stated. “We must intensify our efforts to ensure that no child is left behind, regardless of their circumstances.”
Orelope-Adefulire called upon leaders across all sectors, including government, the private sector, religious institutions, civil society, and international partners, to deepen their commitment to child-centred development. “There can be no meaningful progress without deliberate and sustained investment in the well-being of our children. The future of Nigeria and the achievement of the SDGs hinge on how we nurture today’s young generation,” she asserted.
She encouraged children across the nation to remain hopeful and dedicated to their education and aspirations, assuring them that the government is taking strategic steps to create a peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Nigeria where they can grow, learn, and thrive.
