The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria and with funding support from the European Union, has inaugurated the Child and Youth Ombuds Office, a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening child protection and improving access to justice for children and young people across Nigeria.
The inauguration, held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, marked a significant step in enhancing institutional mechanisms for addressing cases of child rights violations, including abuse, neglect, exploitation, violence, and discrimination.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, described the inauguration as another milestone in the country’s collective effort to promote and protect the rights of every Nigerian child.
He said the Child and Youth Ombuds Desk would serve as a child-friendly platform for receiving complaints, promoting accountability, and ensuring that children’s rights are protected in line with the Nigerian Constitution, the Child Rights Act 2003, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Dr. Ojukwu commended SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria and the European Union for their partnership in making the initiative a reality, noting that collaboration remains essential to building a stronger child protection system.
He disclosed that following the inauguration, the Commission and SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria would develop the operational framework for the Ombuds Desk, including its Terms of Reference and protocols for complaint intake, referral, and feedback mechanisms.
In her address, the Chief Operating Officer of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Omale Akoji said the inauguration represented more than the opening of an office, describing it as a renewed commitment to ensuring that every child and young person in Nigeria has access to a safe, trusted, accessible, and child-friendly mechanism through which their voices can be heard and their rights protected.
She stressed that effective child protection requires strong institutions, accountable systems, skilled professionals, responsive referral mechanisms, and accessible services that children and families can trust.
According to her, the establishment of the Child and Youth Ombuds Office is a major milestone under the European Union-funded Strengthening Child Care and Protection Systems in Nigeria Project, which is being implemented by SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria in partnership with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Jireh Doo Foundation across the national level and in Borno, Edo, and Plateau states.
She explained that the Office would provide children and young people with a confidential platform to report cases of abuse and rights violations without fear of intimidation, stigma, or reprisal, while improving access to justice and strengthening institutional accountability.
She added that the partnership with the NHRC extends beyond the establishment of the Office to include institutional capacity building, training of relevant duty bearers, strengthening referral and response systems, and providing resources required to deliver quality, child-centred services.
The SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria Director noted that the inauguration marked the beginning of a broader rollout, with similar Child and Youth Ombuds mechanisms to be launched in the project’s implementation states in the coming weeks to bring child-friendly reporting and protection services closer to communities.
Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to building a child protection system that is accessible, responsive, inclusive, accountable, and grounded in the rights and dignity of every child.
Stakeholders at the event included representatives of government ministries, development partners, civil society organisations, the Child Protection Network, the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and members of the media, all of whom pledged continued collaboration to ensure that every Nigerian child grows up safe, protected, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.
