The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has renewed calls for urgent reforms to protect the rights of children within Nigeria’s justice system.
The call came during the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference in Enugu, which gathered more than 20,000 participants including lawyers, policymakers, academics, civil society groups, and development partners under the theme “Stand Out and Stand Tall.”
At a high-level session titled “Ending Child Detention: The Role of NBA in Advancing Justice and Reintegration,”
UNICEF and NBA jointly committed to advancing a child-sensitive justice system that prioritizes protection, empowerment, and reintegration over punishment.
UNICEF Representative to Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, stressed that no child should be left behind bars because of circumstances beyond their control, adding that every child deserves dignity, protection, and a chance to rebuild their future.
She outlined four reform priorities: promoting alternatives to detention and reducing overcrowding in juvenile centers, strengthening child protection systems at state and community levels, expanding legal aid for children in conflict with the law, and ensuring the full implementation of the Child Rights Act across all 36 states.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), reaffirmed the association’s resolve to drive enforcement of child protection laws, acknowledging existing gaps despite legislative progress.
He maintained that the UNICEF–NBA partnership signals a growing legal movement to place children’s rights at the heart of Nigeria’s justice reform.
