FAILING RIGHTS OF THE NIGERIAN CHILD: THE RAILROADING EFFECTS OF POVERTY

Abstract

Children are the most vulnerable in the society and are such mostly affected by the incidence of poverty, especially those whose ages range from 0 to 15 years. Children are not only more likely to be living in extreme poverty because they are so vulnerable and that is why the effects of poverty are most damaging to them. The youngest children are the worst of all, because the deprivations they suffer affect the development of their bodies and minds including their social wellbeing. Children in Nigeria often face many problems such as poor health, lack of access to quality education, food and social insecurity and lack of care. In Nigeria, child poverty is typical both in urban and rural areas. Mostly they have access to rivers and other surface water only, no access to modern toilets, limited access to immunizations, and medical advice, living in a small crowed room, no good food to eat, no school attendance, no access to technology, information and other social media. This paper examines the devastating effects of child poverty on the rights of the Nigerian child with the conclusion that, a slowdown of the economic growth, the increasing widespread poverty, insecurity and the rising unemployment rate has amplified to a great extent, the violations on the rights of children. This paper recommended amongst others; job creation to enable parents fend for their children rather than wait for monthly welfare stipends from government, by ensuring that every agency, institution and organization must have a specific plan that corresponds with the Sustainable Development Goals target and such plan must be rooted in the budget of the given year.