Group raises awareness on child protection, abuse in Lagos

An advocacy group, Edge Foundation, has educated young people in the Oshodi area of Lagos State on the dangers of bullying, sexual abuse and child labour, urging them to speak out against all forms of abuse and prioritise their safety.

The founder of Edge Foundation, Casmir Ozuruigbo, spoke on Wednesday during a Children’s Day sensitisation workshop held at St John Catholic Church in Oshodi, Lagos.

Speaking on the reason behind the initiative, the broadcast journalist said the programme was driven by a long-standing passion to protect children from sexual abuse, bullying and child labour.

According to him, many adults experienced different forms of abuse while growing up, making it important to educate children on their rights and personal safety.

Ozuruigbo stressed the need for children to understand that they deserve to live freely without fear of abuse or intimidation.

“It’s not just about doing sensitisation. It has been a long-burning passion in me to help children and ensure they stay safe.

“If we are being honest with ourselves as adults, when we trace back to our childhood, most of us either experienced sexual harassment, child labour or some form of abuse.

“It is really important that today, being Children’s Day, we use it to highlight the need for children to understand the powers they have and to know they are just children and should simply live freely without being subjected to sexual abuse, child labour or bullying,” he said.

Ozuruigbo added that many children across the country suffer abuse silently because of fear, shame and intimidation.

“We are doing this because too many children are suffering in silence. According to UNICEF, one in four girls and about one in 10 boys in Nigeria experience sexual violence before the age of 18.

“Are you also aware that Nigeria has the largest number of child brides in Africa, with over 23 million girls and women married as children? Many never speak up because they are afraid, ashamed, threatened, or simply do not know that what is happening to them is abuse,” he said.

He explained that the foundation believed awareness and education remained critical tools in preventing abuse.

“At EDGE Foundation, we believe prevention starts with education. If children are taught early about boundaries, good touch and bad touch, bullying, peer pressure and how to report abuse, we can save many lives and protect many futures.

“This is not just a Children’s Day celebration for us. It is a rescue mission through awareness.

“Because there is no better day to remind children that they matter, their voices matter and their bodies belong to them.

“Children’s Day should not only be about dancing, cakes and celebrations. It should also be a day of protection, awareness, education and advocacy.

“If society truly says children are leaders of tomorrow, then we must protect them today.

“This was the perfect opportunity to speak directly to children in a language they understand and empower them to speak up against abuse, bullying and harmful peer pressure,” he added.

Commenting on the role of men in tackling abuse, Ozuruigbo said society must stop shielding perpetrators because of familiarity or status.

“The fight against violence and abuse must start with us, the men.

“We must stop pretending these crimes are committed by monsters somewhere. Most times, the perpetrators are people we know — friends, relatives, neighbours, colleagues, religious leaders, even family members.

“We must call out abusive behaviour, challenge toxic silence and stop protecting predators because of familiarity or status.

“And I always tell men this: look at every abused child and imagine your daughter, your niece, your younger sister.

“The same society that excuses abuse against another child can someday fail the girls within your own family too. More than 70 per cent of abused children experience repeated abuse, not just once.

“So this fight concerns all of us,” he said.

Commenting on the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, Ozuruigbo said the rising insecurity could discourage many children from embracing education.

“Children currently do not have a sense of safety due to the rising insecurity in the country.

“We saw what happened recently in Oyo State, where children were abducted in large numbers and teachers were killed. Even recently, 42 children were also abducted in Borno State.

“The government is trying, but they are not doing enough. It appears the government of Bola Tinubu is overwhelmed when it comes to tackling insecurity.

“Now, when children no longer feel safe in school, going to school will stop being interesting to them. They may begin to withdraw because when they hear stories of children being kidnapped from schools, they will tell their parents they do not want to go to school anymore,” he said.

Explaining why the initiative focused on Oshodi, Ozuruigbo described the area as one of the communities where children faced difficult living conditions.

“When you mention Oshodi, Agege, Mushin or Ajegunle, these are places we are currently focusing on.

“When you look around, you notice that children from such areas often grow up under tougher conditions compared to children raised in places like Ikeja, Magodo, Ikoyi or Lekki,” he said.

He disclosed that the foundation had obtained approval from the Oshodi Local Government to carry out sensitisation programmes in public primary schools within the area.

Ozuruigbo said the foundation hoped to reach as many Nigerian children as possible through its advocacy campaigns.

“If one child learns to speak up, if one parent becomes more observant, if one teacher begins taking child protection seriously, if one abused child finally finds courage to report, then this outreach has already made impact.

“We are planting seeds of awareness, confidence, protection and courage in children,” he said.