By Hafsah Tilde/Mercy Sawok

The Federal Government says strengthening families has become critical to protecting children from emerging threats and improving welfare outcomes across the country amid evolving social and economic challenges.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Mrs Esuabana Asanye, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said this at the National Policy Forum on Women, Children and Families in Abuja.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the government was reviewing key child protection and family welfare policies to ensure they remained relevant and responsive to changing social realities nationwide.

She said the exercise covered Nigeria’s outstanding periodic reports to international bodies and strategic policy documents affecting women, children and other vulnerable groups across the country.

According to her, outcomes of the review will be implemented at state and local government levels to strengthen family support systems and improve protection for children.

“The realities confronting children and families continue to evolve, making it necessary for policies and programmes to adapt accordingly,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said sustainable child protection began with stronger families and communities.

Benjamins-Laniyi said child welfare issues now extended beyond legal and policy frameworks to include education, healthcare, nutrition, digital security and social protection concerns.

She warned that child trafficking had become one of the most lucrative forms of organised crime globally, requiring stronger collaboration among governments, communities and development partners.

“Children’s issues are no longer sectoral issues. They involve education, health, nutrition, digital security and community protection,” she said while advocating integrated child welfare interventions.

“Child trafficking is one of the highest-gain crimes globally today, which is why governments must continue to strengthen social protection and child welfare systems,” she added.

According to her, family-centred interventions remain essential to addressing vulnerabilities affecting children and other at-risk groups, while promoting resilience, inclusion and long-term social stability.

She said policy reforms and stronger social institutions were necessary to respond effectively to emerging threats and ensure children received adequate care and protection.

Earlier, Co-Chairman of the National Child Rights Implementation Committee, Dr Mac-John Nwobiala, said Nigeria must continually strengthen child protection systems to reflect changing realities.

Nwobiala said existing frameworks, including the National Child Policy approved in 2007, required updating to address contemporary challenges affecting children and families nationwide.

He emphasised the need for stronger safeguarding mechanisms in schools, improved access to education and responsible use of digital platforms by children and young people.

“Society is dynamic. A lot has changed and a lot is happening to our children. We need stronger systems to protect them and ensure their rights remain a national priority,” he said.

Also, Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Caroline Dafur, said the forum would help states improve interventions for vulnerable children nationwide.

Dafur said that particular attention was needed for children living in orphanages and displacement settings, where vulnerabilities often required specialised support and protection services.

She expressed optimism that lessons from the forum would strengthen child welfare systems and support the reintegration of vulnerable children into communities across Nigeria.

The forum was organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to review Nigeria’s periodic reports to international bodies and validate strategic policy documents.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru