The federal government has said it marked down a total of N12.6bn to cater for the needs of children in thee 2016 Appropriation Bill.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in his Children’s Day message which was made available to State House Correspondents,on Thursday, May 26, asserted that every Nigerian child had the right quality and affordable education, as well as healthcare and other basic necessities for a good life “in a peaceful and secure environment.”
The President also declared that his government was committed to safeguarding children in the country from all kinds of violence, including child labour and trafficking and forced marriages, among others.
He expressed joy that the nation could also celebrate the safe return of one of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Nkeki, and many other abducted women and children who have been freed from the clutches of Boko Haram.
He also assured children and youth that his administration will not rest until the terror group, Boko Haram, is totally eliminated from the country, adding that he remains fully committed to fulfilling his promise of a better Nigeria for all the people.
President Buhari reaffirmed that the good health and well-being of Nigerian children remain a top priority on his agenda for national development and that his administration had demonstrated strong commitment in this regard with the allocation of N12.6 billion in the 2016 budget for vaccines and programmes to prevent childhood killer diseases such as polio, measles and yellow fever.
He listed other provisions in the 2016 budget, such as the school feeding programme for children at a cost of N93.1 billion, as measures that will ensure that more children go to school and enjoy the fun of learning and growing together with their peers.
He said, “It is a thing of joy that on this year’s Children’s Day, we can also celebrate the safe return of one of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Nkeki, and many other abducted women and children who have been freed from the clutches of Boko Haram by our gallant troops.
“We will also sustain and strengthen ongoing actions to protect children more effectively from violence, child-labour, child-trafficking, forced marriages and other related offences.”
