United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, on Tuesday handed over documents to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, and the Nigerian Defence Academy on child protection in armed conflict.
According to UNICEF, the documents include an implementation plan for the handover protocol for children encountered during armed conflict in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region.
During presentations at both institutions, Ibrahim Sesay, UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Child Protection, addressed issues of child protection under international human rights and humanitarian law.
Sesay also highlighted UNICEF’s partnership with the military, in implementing the handover protocol signed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, on 30th September 2022.
“The children, including women with children, are then released to a competent civilian authority, typically the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of the protocol’s implementation plan, led by the Nigerian Army with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, ensuring its successful execution.
“I am pleased to announce that implementation has already started in earnest,” he stated, noting that children are treated as victims and their best interests are prioritised.
He stressed that the partnership strengthens the military’s capacity to protect children encountered during military operations, particularly in the Northeast.
Sesay explained that the protocol includes seven segments, with a critical focus on children under 18, ensuring that it applies not only to Nigerian children but to those from the entire Lake Chad Basin.
He added that the protocol takes into account the transnational nature of conflict, with children often crossing borders and interacting with security forces.
