The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has called for urgent reforms to safeguard the rights of children within Nigeria’s legal and justice systems.
The call was made during the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference in Enugu, attended by more than 20,000 participants, including legal professionals, policymakers, development partners, academics, civil society and the media.
At a high-level session titled “Ending Child Detention: The Role of NBA in Advancing Justice and Reintegration,” UNICEF and the NBA reaffirmed their joint commitment to ensuring that every child, particularly the most vulnerable, has access to fair, timely and child-sensitive justice.
“Children should never be behind bars simply because of who they are or the circumstances they are born into. Every child deserves protection, dignity, and a chance to rebuild their future. Our partnership with the NBA is about transforming the justice system into one that protects rather than punishes, empowers rather than excludes, and restores rather than breaks lives,” UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, said.
The partnership, according to UNICEF, focuses on promoting alternatives to detention and reducing overcrowding in juvenile facilities, strengthening child protection systems at state and community levels, expanding access to legal aid for children in conflict with the law, and advocating for the full implementation of the Child Rights Act across all 36 states.
NBA President, Mr. Afam Osigwe, said while Nigeria had made progress in enacting child protection laws, enforcement remained a major challenge.
“Together with UNICEF, the NBA will continue to champion reforms that align with both national and international standards for child rights. This year’s conference provides the platform to mobilise the legal community toward action,” Osigwe said.
UNICEF further stressed that justice for children must go beyond legal protection to include empowerment, reintegration and lasting opportunities for all children.