From Kayemo News
The Federal Government, Nigerian Bar Association and United Nations Children’s Fund have launched a partnership to expand access to pro bono legal services for children in conflict with the law and other vulnerable children across Nigeria.
Representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, at the high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Monday, the Director, Administration of Criminal Justice and Reform Department in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, said access to justice was a fundamental right of every child.
Daniels said children who came into contact with the justice system, whether as victims, witnesses or alleged offenders, deserved protection and fair treatment.
“Access to justice is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right of every child,” she said. “A child who comes into contact with the law, whether as a victim, witness, or an actual offender, deserves a system that protects, not harms; that restores, not stigmatises; and that hears, not silences.”
She said Nigeria had made significant progress in establishing a legal and policy framework for child justice, citing the Child Rights Act 2003, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, state child rights laws and diversion initiatives.
According to her, justice for children had also been expressly recognised as a distinct thematic area in the National Policy on Justice, providing a strategic framework for a more inclusive and responsive justice system.
Daniels said the Federal Government was prioritising children’s rights, including addressing unnecessary detention and improving access to child-friendly justice mechanisms.
She, however, stressed that the effectiveness of reforms would ultimately be measured at the point where children encountered the justice system.
“There is no real change outside. A real change is at the point of contact between the station and the courts,” Daniels said.
She added that the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring that children were not left behind in justice sector reforms.
In her remarks, the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, said the partnership was founded on the principle that no child should be denied justice because of a lack of legal representation.
Saeed said children continued to encounter several obstacles within the justice system, including detention without legal representation, delays in case management, limited access to diversion opportunities, weak referral systems and inadequate support services.
“Access to justice is not simply a legal issue. It is a child protection issue, a development issue, and a matter of human dignity,” Saeed said.
She said every child, whether a victim, survivor, witness or child alleged to have committed an offence, deserved fair treatment, due process and an opportunity to have their voice heard.
According to her, the NBA’s nationwide network of lawyers and professional structures could help institutionalise child-sensitive legal representation and create sustainable pathways for pro bono services.
Saeed called on the NBA to mobilise lawyers in all its branches to provide pro bono representation for children.
“Just imagine if every practising lawyer in each NBA branch handles a case pro bono on behalf of one child every year in Nigeria,” she said.
The UNICEF Representative also called on the judiciary to promote child-sensitive procedures, urging state Chief Judges to consider issuing practice directions requiring mandatory age determination and consideration of diversion whenever a child was brought before a court for arraignment.
She said the success of the partnership would “not be measured by today’s launch. It will be measured by the child who is reunited with family instead of remaining unnecessarily detained; the survivor who receives justice and protection; and the young person who is given a second chance through rehabilitation and reintegration rather than a lifetime of exclusion.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the partnership with UNICEF represented a reaffirmation of the legal profession’s commitment to ensuring that every child could access justice, protection and effective legal representation.
He said despite existing legislation and policy reforms, many children continued to face barriers when accessing justice.
“Too often, children who are victims of violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, trafficking, child marriage, harmful traditional practices, or conflict with the law find themselves without adequate legal support when they need it most,” Osigwe said. “For these children, lack of legal representation is a failure on our part.”
The NBA President said lawyers had a special responsibility to defend vulnerable children, stressing that the profession was not merely about interpreting laws but also about protecting rights.
He called on lawyers nationwide to dedicate their time, expertise and resources to child protection cases.
“When a child survivor of abuse requires legal representation, let there be a lawyer ready to stand by that child. When a child is unlawfully detained or denied due process, let there be a lawyer ready to defend that child’s rights,” the NBA President said.
Osigwe urged every NBA branch to establish or strengthen pro bono schemes focused on children, while calling on law firms to dedicate part of their professional time to child protection cases.
He also urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria to mentor younger lawyers in child-sensitive legal practice.
“This is not simply an act of charity. It is an act of justice,” he said. “The true measure of our profession is not only the commercial transactions we facilitate or the disputes we resolve, but the extent to which we use our skills to protect the vulnerable and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law.” {The Punch}