The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Tinubu administration for the successful rescue of 39 abducted pupils and five teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the operation as a significant step in protecting children affected by insecurity.
The commendation was given by UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, during a courtesy visit by a UNICEF delegation to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.
Russell said the rescue demonstrated the government’s commitment to safeguarding children and praised the First Lady for championing programmes that promote the welfare of women and children through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
“Investing in women and children is an investment in the future of the nation,” she said.
She noted that UNICEF remained committed to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to protect vulnerable children, especially those affected by conflict.
“What I see in my travels around the world is that conflict is one of the most difficult situations for children. Whether it is displacement, violence or abductions, children need to be protected in these situations. We thank the leadership for rescuing children in conflict,” Russell said.
The UNICEF chief also applauded the First Lady’s role in Nigeria’s birth registration campaign, which has seen about 14 million children registered in the past two years.
“Birth registration is one of the most important because children are our priority to guarantee a better future. I commend the leadership and the Renewed Hope Initiative for this achievement,” she added.
Russell further recognised Senator Tinubu’s advocacy against female genital mutilation (FGM), describing it as an important contribution to advancing the rights and wellbeing of women and children.
Responding, the First Lady welcomed UNICEF’s continued partnership with Nigeria and expressed delight over the safe rescue of the abducted pupils.
“We are used to UNICEF partnering with our office through advocacy because the work of the First Lady is complementary to government efforts. I agree that children are very important for the development of any nation,” she said.
Senator Tinubu stressed that sustained investment in children remained essential to national development.
“When children are not well invested in, no matter how wealthy a country is, it will not be able to achieve substantial growth. That is why we must continue to invest in our children,” she said.
The First Lady also said the government was addressing the challenge of out-of-school children, particularly Almajiri children, by expanding access to formal education alongside skills acquisition programmes.
The meeting was attended by UNICEF Country Representative Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef and other senior officials of the organisation.