₦airaland Forum

Most Nigerians don’t know this:

Under the Child Rights Act, a child is anyone under 18.

Not 16.

Not “once she can cook.”

Not “once he looks like a man.”

Under 18.

And the law gives that child serious protection.

Let me break it down.

1️⃣ A CHILD HAS A RIGHT TO LIFE & DIGNITY

Sections 4 & 11 of the Child Rights Act protect a child’s:

Right to survival

Right to development

Right to dignity

This means:

❌ Torture

❌ Degrading punishment

❌ Starvation as punishment

❌ Locking a child inside a room

Are not “discipline.”

They are legal violations.

And remember — Section 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria also protects human dignity.

A child is not your property.

2️⃣ YOU CANNOT MARRY OFF A CHILD

Section 21 of the Child Rights Act:

No person under 18 is capable of contracting a valid marriage.

Any marriage involving a child is void.

Yes — void.

This aligns with the constitutional interpretation in

Attorney-General of Bendel State v. Attorney-General of the Federation where the Supreme Court emphasized constitutional supremacy.

No custom overrides a valid federal law.

3️⃣ EDUCATION IS NOT OPTIONAL

Section 15 — every child has a right to free and compulsory basic education.

Parents who deliberately refuse may be in breach.

Education is not a favor.

It is a legal right.

4️⃣ CHILDREN MUST NOT BE USED FOR LABOUR OR STREET HAWKING

Section 28 prohibits exploitative labour.

If the work:

Deprives the child of education

Harms health

Exploits vulnerability

It may be illegal.

Not all “helping mummy sell” is criminal.

But exploitation is.

5️⃣ A CHILD HAS A RIGHT TO BE HEARD

Section 3 — in every action concerning a child, the best interest of the child shall be the primary consideration.

This principle has been reinforced in Nigerian courts including:

Alabi v. Alabi where the Court of Appeal emphasized that custody decisions must prioritise the child’s welfare — not the ego of the parents.

In custody battles, it is not: “Who is richer?”

It is: “What is best for the child?”

6️⃣ IF A CHILD COMMITS AN OFFENCE

They must:

Not be tried like adults

Not be imprisoned with adults

Have privacy protection

Juvenile justice is different from adult criminal law.

The system recognises that children can reform.

7️⃣ BIRTH REGISTRATION IS A RIGHT

Every child has the right to:

A name

Identity

Registration at birth

Without this, that child may struggle with school, passport, inheritance, and more.

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Not all states have domesticated the Child Rights Act but even where it hasn’t been fully adopted, children are still protected under:

The Constitution

Criminal laws

International obligations

Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child so these protections are not random. They are intentional.

LET ME SAY THIS CLEARLY

Your child is not:

Your punching bag

Your retirement plan

Your emotional dumping ground

Your marriage settlement

They are human beings under the law.

If you are:

A parent, a teacher, a religious leader, a guardian, you need to understand this..

Because ignorance is not a defence.

Where are the child rights advocates kwanu

The one who wrote this post is one.

Follow me on facebook @pcokwuobi

Mvnster:
Where are the child rights advocates kwanu