There are many things that make Nigeria a beautiful place but a dear one to me is our continuing to remember and celebrate children’s day yearly. Whether we look at children from a moral, political, or economic perspective, they are a jewel to our society and it is our responsibility to love, encourage and steer them correctly if we will stand a chance at a sustainable future.
From a moral perspective, the Quran, Bible, and other religious books highlight the innocence of our children, the special love of God for them and our responsibility to care for and protect them.
From a political and economic perspective, especially in Nigeria, our child population is significantly larger than our older populations and so how much we invest in them today will determine whether we succeed both politically and economically as a nation.
It therefore behooves us to make it a point to care for, invest in, and protect our children. No child should suffer homelessness or hunger or abuse; and every child should be able to attain a basic education with opportunities for employability as they grow beyond childhood.
This year, with the celebration of children’s day coinciding with inauguration activities, we must all remember not to lose sight of what is important. This is a call to parents to remember to be good examples and make our children a priority. It’s similarly a call to national, state, and local leaders to exhibit character that we expect our children to emulate and ensure that every child in their communities receive a basic education with no child left behind.
Nigeria is one of a few countries that celebrates children’s day and we must not only be proud, but we must continue to encourage this laudable culture in all our communities across the country.
*Dr. Aderonke Kujore Adelekan is a children’s leadership development expert, author, and philanthropist. A lot of her work is focused on raising a new generation of leaders who are ethical, competent and have a spirit for serving their nation. Aderonke often speaks on children’s rights, child education, and other leadership development topics including the roles of Listening, Empathy, Healing, Awareness, Persuasion, Conceptualization, Foresight, Stewardship, Commitment to the Growth of People, Building Community and Ethics in developing good leadership. She can be reached via: [email protected]
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