As Nigeria marked 2025 Day of the African Child under the theme “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010,” the occasion presented an opportunity to reflect on the deep disconnect between national commitments and everyday realities faced by millions of children across the country.

This concern took center stage at a media dialogue held recently at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Ikeja, where experts, civil society actors, and government officials gathered to explore how public spending can be better aligned with children’s needs.

Stakeholders at the event identified that the gap between stated intentions and actual outcomes with regard to strategic budgeting for children’s rights remains stark, lamenting that though resources are often earmarked, a large number of children still remain unreached.

The challenge for many stakeholders is that despite numerous policy initiatives and promises, many Nigerian children still lack access to basic necessities: clean water, nutrition, healthcare, education, and protection, with rising cases of abuse and trafficking becoming perennial, especially in underserved regions like the Southwest.

Celine Lafourcrier, Chief of UNICEF’s South West Nigeria Field Office, speaking at the event emphasized that poorly allocated or inadequately implemented budgets often have minimal impact on intended beneficiaries.

She added that without data-driven planning, strong coordination, and accountability, public spending would fail to improve children’s lives in any meaningful way.

Lafourcrier argued that budgeting must go beyond simply allocating funds; it must prioritize investments that directly impact children’s wellbeing.

Olufemi Orojimi, Director of Budget, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, agreed with Lafourcrier and disclosed that Lagos had introduced a dedicated budget-code to track every naira spent on children’s welfare.

Orojimi, who noted that the initiative had brought greater transparency and accountability to strategic budgeting for children’s welfare, said “Funds are now more effectively channeled into essential services such as nutrition for vulnerable communities, expanded access to public education and built stronger child protection systems,”.

The Lagos model mirrors successful examples from other African nations. Rwanda, for instance, embedded child-focused budgeting into its national development plans, achieving a notable drop in child malnutrition from 44% to under 35% between 2010 and 2020. This progress was driven by targeted programs, accurate data, and community engagement. Similarly, South Africa institutionalized child rights budgeting in its post-apartheid reforms, with transparent education spending that significantly improved school enrollment rates.

Those examples underscore a fundamental lesson: when governments commit to evidence based, transparent budgeting and actively involve communities, the impact on children’s lives is measurable and transformative.

UNICEF’s Muhammad Okorie on his part pointed out that the entire budget cycle from planning to implementation must be closely monitored. He urged all citizens to get involved and make budgeting count for Nigerian children.

His words: “We’re all involved and must act as watchdogs to ensure that funds are used effectively and ethically.”

Despite international commitments like the Abuja Declaration which urges countries to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to health and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Nigeria continues to under-invest in critical sectors such as healthcare and nutrition.

Those are foundational to a child’s survival and development. To bridge the gap therefore, Nigeria must adopt a child-centered budgeting approach that utilizes real time, disaggregated data to identify and support the most vulnerable. Children’s needs must be integrated into national and sub-national budgets, not treated as peripheral concerns. Budgeting for children is more than just a fiscal policy, it is a moral and developmental imperative.

As the 2025 Day of the African Child reminds us, the time has come to move from rhetoric to reality. Nigeria must ensure its budgets deliver tangible, lasting improvements in children’s lives. Only by investing wisely and inclusively in its youngest citizens can Nigeria secure a future that is healthier, more equitable, and prosperous for all.