The Federal Government has announced the successful validation of Nigeria’s Combined Fifth to Eighth Periodic Reports to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, describing the achievement as a significant step toward restoring the country’s compliance with international reporting obligations and strengthening child protection frameworks.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the National Review and Validation Meeting of Nigeria’s Periodic Reports to the United Nations and Strategic Policy Documents held in Abuja.
She said the validation of the reports ends a longstanding backlog in Nigeria’s reporting obligations and demonstrates the country’s commitment to upholding the rights and welfare of children in accordance with international standards.
According to the minister, the development reinforces Nigeria’s position as a responsible member of the international community and reflects renewed efforts to meet global human rights commitments.
“This critical submission was long overdue, and clearing this backlog represents a monumental leap forward for our standing in the comity of nations,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim explained that the reporting exercise was not undertaken solely to fulfil international obligations but was also used as an opportunity to strengthen institutions and drive policy reforms aimed at improving social protection systems.
She revealed that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development had reviewed, developed and validated more than 40 policy documents and Standard Operating Procedures designed to enhance service delivery and protection for women, children, families and other vulnerable groups.
Among the policy instruments validated are the National Boy Child Policy, Revised National Children Policy, National Family Policy, National Care Economy Policy, National Adoption Policy, and the National Policy on the Management of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
The minister also announced that the Child Rights Act of 2003 and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015 are currently undergoing legislative review to address emerging technological challenges and evolving forms of vulnerability affecting women and children.
She noted that the reforms followed a comprehensive assessment of the ministry’s policy and institutional architecture, which identified weaknesses in implementation mechanisms, outdated policy frameworks and coordination gaps among relevant stakeholders.
According to her, the newly validated policies will serve as the foundation for implementing the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention programme across all 774 local government areas of the country.
Nigeria ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 and has since continued efforts to align domestic laws and policies with international standards on child welfare, protection and development. The Child Rights Act, enacted in 2003, provides the legal framework for safeguarding children’s rights, although implementation remains largely dependent on adoption and enforcement at the state level.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that the true measure of success would be reflected in tangible improvements in the lives of citizens, particularly through stronger protection systems for children, safer communities for women and enhanced support structures for families across the country.
She said the reforms are aimed at building a more responsive and inclusive social protection system capable of addressing current and future challenges while promoting the welfare and dignity of vulnerable populations.
