The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has appealed to Nigerians and governments at all levels to channel their investments towards development for the sake of our children.
Obi made the appeal in a message to Nigerians on Children's Day.
He described children as the future of our society, hence the need for us to do everything to ensure their proper development.
The LP standards bearer described the statistics, which state that four out of every ten Nigerian children is in child labour, as unacceptable.
The former Anambra State Governor wrote this in a series of tweets on his X handle on Monday.
He said, "On this day, we celebrate Children's Day, I rejoice with all the Nigerian children, for whose sake, we remain firmly committed in our struggle for a New Nigeria.
"This day, which is set aside to celebrate the Nigerian child, presents us the opportunity to focus on our children - the future leaders of our society--and also reminds us of the need to invest in their growth; and support and nurture their dreams.
"Every Nigerian child deserves access to quality education, healthcare, and a safe and secure environment to live and thrive. We must, therefore invest in these key areas of development for their sake and the future of society.
"Sadly, the challenges of child labour persist in our Nigerian society today. A National Bureau of Statistics report states that 39.2 per cent of our children are in child labour, and 22.9 per cent of children are involved in hazardous work.
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"The reports further assert that four out of every ten children in Nigeria are trapped in child labour, therefore, putting the children and the future of society at risk. In tackling the challenges of child labour, we must focus on pulling more people out of poverty and ensuring the respect of the rights of every Nigerian child.
"While encouraging the parents, guardians, teachers, and benefactors who see to the training of our children, I urge them to continue to give their best to raise responsible citizens in our nation.
"To the children, I encourage them to take seriously their moral and educational formation. We restate our commitment to building a safe, secure, and productive nation for our children to live in, fully and freely explore their potentials - the New Nigeria we are working towards. It is POssible."
