The Nigerian government has received praise from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for rescuing 39 kidnapped students and five instructors in Oyo State.
On May 15, the victims were kidnapped from three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area.
After being held captive for 56 days, they were rescued thanks to a well-planned, intelligence-driven operation carried out by Nigerian security forces under President Bola Tinubu.
On Thursday, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell led the organization’s team to the State House for a courtesy visit with First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
UNICEF Country Representative Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, Chief of Staff Ted Mary, Senior Communications Advisor Marlene Jensen, and Executive Specialist Nabila Jamshed were among the other delegation members.
Russell commended the government’s dedication to women and children, stating that long-term national progress and future prosperity in Nigeria depend on investments in their wellbeing.
“I believe that investing in women and children is an investment in the country’s future,” Russell stated.
She reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to helping Nigeria through ongoing humanitarian and development partnerships and commended the government for saving children from dangerous situations.
“UNICEF is happy to remain on the team and contribute as much as we can. We are grateful to the leadership for saving children during hostilities.
According to Russell, one of the biggest risks that children face worldwide is conflict, which exposes kids to abduction, violence, displacement, and severe psychological damage.
“In these circumstances, children must be protected,” stated Russell.
She emphasized the significance of using community-based interventions to make schools safe and stated that the First Lady’s leadership was still essential to bolstering child safety initiatives around the country.
Russell continued, “UNICEF continues to support family tracing and reintegration programs, assisting rescued children in safely reuniting with their families following traumatic experiences.”
The group also praised Mrs. Tinubu for spearheading persistent birth registration initiatives that registered 14 million Nigerian children in only two years.
UNICEF credited the accomplishment in part to the Renewed Hope Initiative’s lobbying, which enhanced children’s legal identities nationally and expedited birth registration throughout communities.
According to Russell, “birth registration is one of the most important because children are part of our priority to guarantee a great future.”
In February, UNICEF reported that between 2023 and 2026, there were 14 million officially registered births in Nigeria.
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In order to guarantee that every Nigerian kid has a recognized legal identity from birth, the National Population Commission also revealed that it has increased registration centers around the country.
Russell also noted the First Lady’s opposition to child marriage and female genital mutilation, characterizing both as detrimental to millions of young girls.
In response, the first lady thanked UNICEF for its ongoing support of Nigeria during a time of insecurity and expressed joy at the children’s rescue.
“We are accustomed to UNICEF collaborating with our office through advocacy because the First Lady’s work is complementary and encouraging.”
Despite her prior experience as a legislator, the First Lady clarified that her office supported government ministries without meddling in the creation of policies.
“I work in a very different job now. I work carefully with ministries, prepared to cooperate and offer helpful recommendations.
Tinubu concurred that regardless of a nation’s natural resources or economic strength, investing in children was essential to sustainable national growth.
“No matter how wealthy a country is, it cannot make substantial growth when children are not well invested in,” the First Lady stated.
Her experience in education, she claimed, strengthened her belief that every child should have access to a high-quality education and the chance to reach their full potential.
The First Lady admitted that the nation’s resources were still being depleted by insecurity, which made less money available for social investment and national growth.
“Those resources are being seriously depleted by security. Despite this, we can still implement helpful policies.
Tinubu also noted that another important national issue that needs immediate attention is the rising number of out-of-school children, especially Almajiri youngsters in northern Nigeria.
In order to help these kids create better futures and make significant contributions to society, she said the government was trying to guarantee that they received both formal education and appropriate care.
