The Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, has called for increased investment in Nigeria’s children and young people, saying they remain the country’s greatest asset despite the challenges they face.
Russell made the remarks at the end of a four-day visit to Nigeria, where she met with government officials, development partners, community leaders, and children across several parts of the country. Her visit focused on assessing UNICEF-supported programmes in education, healthcare, nutrition, child protection, and social development.
Reflecting on her visit, Russell expressed optimism about the future of Nigeria, citing the resilience and determination of its young population.
“Everywhere I went in Nigeria, I saw the strength, ambition and potential of children and young people despite continued challenges,” she said.
She added that with nearly 105 million children and adolescents, about half of Nigeria’s population in the country possesses one of the world’s greatest opportunities to transform its youthful population into a driving force for economic growth, innovation and national resilience.
Russell stressed that although rising living costs and economic pressures continue to affect many families, sustained investment in children remains essential to protecting recent gains in health, education and child welfare.
She urged governments, development partners and other stakeholders to prioritise policies and programmes that improve children’s access to quality education, healthcare, nutrition, clean water and protection from violence.
During her visit, the UNICEF chief observed several initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of children, including immunisation, education and nutrition programmes. She commended the efforts of the Nigerian government and its partners while noting that significant work remains to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to thrive.
Nigeria is home to one of the largest child populations in the world. According to UNICEF, while progress has been recorded in areas such as immunisation, access to clean water and school enrolment, millions of children still face poverty, malnutrition, inadequate healthcare and limited access to quality education.
Russell reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to improve the lives of children, describing investment in young people as critical to the country’s long-term prosperity.
She said empowering children and adolescents today would not only improve their individual futures but also strengthen Nigeria’s economic and social development for generations to come.
