Nigeria Reviews Child Rights Law As Abuse Cases Surge
Nigeria’s legal framework for child protection is facing a major reset as the Federal Government begins a comprehensive review of the Child Rights Act, 2003, citing its inability to address modern threats confronting children.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, made this known in Abuja during the inauguration of a review committee, describing the existing law as outdated in the face of evolving risks such as cyber exploitation and organised abuse.
He acknowledged that the Act, enacted in 2003, marked a “historic milestone” in aligning Nigeria with international child protection standards but said developments over two decades have exposed significant gaps. According to him, emerging threats now include recruitment of children by terrorist groups, grooming, sextortion, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and online pornography networks.
“These emerging threats were not envisaged when the Act was first promulgated,” Fagbemi said, adding that “one accepted feature of a good law is that it must evolve with society.”
The review, he noted, is expected to go beyond minor amendments and may lead to a complete repeal and re-enactment of the law to establish a more responsive and coherent framework. Key areas identified for reform include protection of the right to life and dignity, prohibition of harmful practices such as child-witch branding, stronger safeguards against female genital mutilation, and reforms to adoption processes to curb trafficking and commercialisation.
Fagbemi also emphasised the need to strengthen Family Courts, harmonise inconsistencies across states on the definition of a child and the age of criminal responsibility, and secure constitutional backing to ensure uniform enforcement nationwide.
Despite the Act’s significance, its implementation has remained uneven across states, weakening child protection outcomes. The minister urged state governments and legislatures to align with the proposed reforms to create a unified national standard.
He linked the initiative to the administration of Bola Tinubu, which has designated 2026 as the “Year of Social Development and Families in Nigeria,” framing the reform as part of broader efforts to prioritise child welfare.
The committee is chaired by Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, whose prior work in child justice reform, including the re-enactment of Rivers State Child Rights Law and development of Family Court systems, was cited as key to her selection. She co-chairs the panel alongside Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, with support from stakeholders including UNICEF.
In her remarks, Nyesom-Wike pointed to persistent enforcement gaps and legal contradictions that continue to undermine child protection. She noted that inconsistencies in state-level implementation have left many children without effective safeguards, despite the existence of the law.
She also highlighted constitutional ambiguities that have contributed to child marriage in some parts of the country, warning that conflicting legal interpretations continue to weaken the intent of the Act.
Available data cited at the event showed reported cases of child abuse rising sharply from 3,943 in 2021 to 9,279 in 2024, while conviction rates remain low. The situation is further compounded by an estimated 20 million out-of-school children, a figure described as indicative of deeper structural challenges in child welfare.
Nyesom-Wike urged the committee to deliver reforms that are practical and enforceable, stressing that the task goes beyond legislation to addressing systemic failures within Nigeria’s child protection architecture.