Children who come into contact with Nigeria's justice system are set to receive greater legal protection under a new nationwide partnership involving the Federal Government, Nigerian Bar Association and UNICEF.
The initiative is designed to expand access to free legal representation for children, particularly those in conflict with the law and other vulnerable children who may otherwise struggle to obtain legal support.
The partnership was unveiled at a high-level stakeholders' meeting in Abuja on Monday, with the Federal Government stressing that access to justice is a fundamental right of every child.
Representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, the Director of the Administration of Criminal Justice and Reform Department in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, said children must be protected whenever they come into contact with the justice system.
She said children appearing as victims, witnesses or alleged offenders deserve a system that protects rather than harms them and ensures that their voices are heard.
According to her, Nigeria has made progress in establishing laws and policies supporting child justice, including the Child Rights Act 2003, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and various state child-rights laws.
She noted that justice for children had also been recognised as a distinct area under the National Policy on Justice, providing a framework for a more inclusive justice system.
The Federal Government, she said, is prioritising children's rights by addressing unnecessary detention and improving access to child-friendly justice mechanisms.
However, she stressed that the real impact of these reforms would ultimately be measured by what happens when children actually encounter police stations, courts and other parts of the justice system.
UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, said the partnership was founded on the principle that no child should be denied justice simply because they cannot afford legal representation.
She identified detention without legal representation, delays in cases, limited access to diversion programmes, weak referral systems and inadequate support services as some of the challenges facing children within the justice system.
Saeed described access to justice as not only a legal matter but also a child-protection, development and human-dignity issue.
She called on the Nigerian Bar Association to mobilise lawyers across its branches to provide pro bono representation for children.
The UNICEF representative proposed that every practising lawyer in each NBA branch could handle at least one child-related case without charge each year, potentially creating a nationwide network of legal support for vulnerable children.
She also urged the judiciary to strengthen child-sensitive procedures, including consideration of age determination and diversion whenever a child is brought before a court for arraignment.
According to Saeed, the success of the partnership should ultimately be measured by whether vulnerable children are reunited with their families instead of being unnecessarily detained and whether survivors receive justice and protection.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, said the partnership reaffirmed the legal profession's responsibility to protect children's rights and improve access to justice.
Osigwe noted that children affected by violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, trafficking, child marriage and harmful traditional practices frequently face significant barriers to obtaining legal assistance.
He called on lawyers nationwide to dedicate their expertise and resources to child-protection cases and urged NBA branches to establish or strengthen dedicated pro bono schemes.
The NBA president also encouraged law firms to commit professional time to children's cases and called on Senior Advocates of Nigeria to mentor younger lawyers in child-sensitive legal practice.
The partnership comes as Nigeria continues efforts to strengthen its child-justice system and ensure that vulnerable children are treated fairly regardless of their circumstances.
For families who cannot afford legal representation, the initiative could provide an important pathway to obtaining professional assistance when children face legal proceedings or require protection from abuse and other violations.
The programme also places greater responsibility on lawyers, government institutions and the judiciary to ensure that existing child-rights protections are translated into practical support.
With the Federal Government, NBA and UNICEF working together, the initiative could create a stronger nationwide framework for ensuring that financial hardship does not prevent a child from accessing justice.