The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the welfare, protection and development of children across Nigeria as the country marks the 2026 Children’s Day celebration.
In a statement released to commemorate the occasion by her Special Assistant on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communications, Desmond Utomwen, the presidential aide described children as the foundation of sustainable national development, stressing that investment in their wellbeing remains critical to the future of the nation.
The statement noted that children’s access to quality education, healthcare, nutrition, protection and social support aligns directly with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 16.
According to Orelope-Adefulire, Nigeria’s development aspirations can only be fully realised when deliberate efforts are made to provide children with safe environments, quality learning opportunities and adequate healthcare services that enable them to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.
She further highlighted its ongoing interventions aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable populations across the country through the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, healthcare facilities, water supply projects, skills acquisition centres and other social infrastructure projects implemented nationwide.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire also called on governments at all levels, parents, teachers, development partners, private sector organisations and community leaders to strengthen collective action towards child protection, moral upbringing, digital inclusion and youth empowerment.
The SSA to the President emphasised that protecting and empowering children is not only a social responsibility but also an important pathway towards achieving sustainable development, peace and national prosperity, while maintaining that the Office is unshaken in its commitment to building a society where every child, regardless of background or social status, is given the opportunity to survive, learn, grow and achieve their full potential.
