PHILOSOPHY AND PRAXIS

It is interesting to know that children have rights. The rights are that which protect them as humans. These include fundamental rights guaranteed to all human beings such as the right to life, nondiscrimination principle, right to dignity through the protection of physical and mental integrity, including protection against slavery, torture and bad treatments. They have rights to identity, nationality, education, decent standard of living, health, and right to live with their parents and develop spiritually, physically and intellectually. They have rights to benefit from all-round protection. However, it is sad that ignorance, negligence, lack of recognition and enforcement have caused these rights to be disregarded, violated and trampled upon in the Nigerian society. Rash punishment of innocent children has otherwise become the order of the day, which yields very little or no positive outcome from the children; some of the children experiencing suffering have died or become more radical than expected. They become useful instruments in the fermentation of trouble and promotion of conflicts in society. This study identifies and examines the extent through which children’s rights are violated in Nigeria and calls for due regard, respect and proper enforcement of children’s rights in the country.

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