By Asma’u Ahmad
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that the Federal Government has the main responsibility for preventing and responding to violence with quality services in place.
The Chief of Child Protection of UNICEF in Nigeria, Mrs. Rachel Harvey made this known in an interview with news men in Lagos.
Mrs. Harvey spoke on the sidelines of the campaign to End Violence Against Children by 2030, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 25.
Newsmen report that the campaign is supported by UNICEF and the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
The campaign builds and expands on the success of just-ended Year of Action to End Violence Against Children, earlier launched in Sept. 2015.
She said: “The services should be staffed by trained professionals to help children recover from their experiences.
Also, perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions by strengthening the capacity of justice sector, that children and the general public are aware that violence against children is unacceptable.
“And that they know where to seek help when children are victims of violence, among other steps.”
She said that the issue of violence against children was critical to the country as it was not confined to poor families, or to marginalised children or children living in the shadow of conflict.
Harvey said that the government alone could not end violence, adding that religious leaders, NGOs and the media had a fundamental role in breaking the culture of silence on violence that children suffered.
