CRC/C/NGA/CO/3-4
(e) To define strategic budgetary lines for disadvantaged or particularly
vulnerable children, especially orphans, children in street situations and
internally displaced children, and for those situations that may require
affirmative social measures (such as birth registration) and make sure that
those budgetary lines are protected even in situations of economic crisis,
natural disasters or other emergencies;
(f) To develop strategic budgetary lines regarding critical social sectors, in
particular health and education, for states in the northern geopolitical zones of
the State party with a view to address the prevailing disparities in the
realization of children’s economic and social rights;
(g) To establish a system of monitoring of the allocation and expenditure of
federal government funds by local and state governments with a view to
strengthen accountability of the latter.
Data collection
18. The Committee notes with appreciation the establishment of the National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) and its fully fledged department dealing with statistics on children during
the reporting period. It also welcomes the appointment of the Convention on the Rights of
the Child (CRC) Chair at the University of Lagos and the undertaking of a National
Baseline Survey on child protection, including indicators, by the same. The Committee
notes however that data on children deprived of a family environment, refugee and
internally displaced children, children in conflict with the law, children with disabilities, as
well as single-parent families still has to be collected and analysed.
19. The Committee encourages the State party to continue to strengthen its data
collection system, including by providing adequate financial and human resources and
by fostering close cooperation and collaboration between relevant entities such as the
Child Development Department, Child Rights Implementation Committees, the
National Bureau of Statistics, the Child Right Information Bureau in the Ministry of
Interior (CRC/C/15/Add.257, para. 5), academic institutions and development
partners. It recommends the publication of annual reports on the state of children’s
rights in the State party and reminds the State party of the Committee’s general
comment No. 5 (2003) on general measures of implementation.
Dissemination, training and awareness raising
20. While welcoming the efforts by the State party to raise awareness of children’s rights
through training and sensitization programmes for critical target groups, the Committee
regrets that these are primarily of an ad hoc character. The Committee also regrets the lack
of sustained and comprehensive training programmes for key professional groups,
including law enforcement officials, members of the judiciary, prison staff, health
professionals, social workers, local government administrators and traditional and religious
leaders on the Convention and the Child Rights Act.
21. The Committee recommends systematic training on the Convention and the Child
Rights Act for all professional groups working with and for children, with priority
given to police, judges, prison staff, personnel of child care institutions, including
through the necessary revision of training manuals and operative procedures. In this
regard, the Committee recommends the wide dissemination of the findings on child
protection of the National Baseline Survey for the respective groups as a critical
awareness-raising tool on the situation of child rights in the State party.
22. Mindful of the rich linguistic diversity of the State party, the Committee strongly
recommends the translation of the Convention and the CRA into languages used in
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