The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has called on organised labour to declare a countrywide strike and mass protest, accusing President Bola Tinubu and the country's ruling elite of failing Nigerian children amid worsening insecurity and economic hardship.
Children's Day Statement
In a strongly worded Children's Day statement signed by Deputy National Coordinator Ogunjimi Isaac and National Mobilisation Officer Adaramoye Michael Lenin, the group described this year's celebration as 'gory' for thousands of children allegedly trapped in the grip of terrorists and poverty.
Attack on Oyo Schools
The campaign cited the May 15 attack on schools in Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where gunmen reportedly abducted 39 students and seven teachers. The group lamented that one of the teachers, identified as Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the attackers, while another teacher was killed during the raid.
According to the ERC, both the federal government and the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde have failed to provide solutions to the worsening insecurity, accusing political leaders of focusing more on the 2027 elections than the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
Economic Woes
The group also linked the crisis facing children to the country's economic woes, blaming what it described as the Tinubu administration's 'anti-people and neoliberal policies' for rising poverty, hunger and poor access to education and healthcare.
Quoting international reports, the ERC said millions of Nigerian children face acute malnutrition and disease, adding that the country remains among those with the highest rates of child poverty and stunted growth globally.
Fear of Abduction
The organisation further lamented that many children now live in constant fear of abduction, noting that some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls remain in Boko Haram captivity more than a decade after their disappearance. The campaign accused the political class of failing to tackle insecurity despite huge security allocations and billions reportedly spent on initiatives such as the Safe School programme.
Call for Action
Calling for urgent action, the ERC urged the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria to mobilise workers and citizens for nationwide protests and industrial action against insecurity and economic hardship.
The group also advocated the creation of a pan-Nigerian, multi-ethnic community defence structure to work with security agencies in protecting schools and communities, while insisting that insecurity cannot be solved through military action alone without addressing poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.
