The Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) celebrates with our dear nation Nigeria at Sixty-five. We thank God for keeping us as a nation despite daunting challenges. In the spirit of this celebration, we also honor the Nigerian child — the heartbeat of our nation and the promise of tomorrow. Every Nigerian child carries within them the dreams of a greater Nigeria, and it is our collective responsibility to nurture, protect, and empower them to reach their fullest potential.
As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, we must pause and reflect on the nation’s future—not in terms of oil revenue, elections, or infrastructure alone, but in terms of our children. For it is in their education, health, safety, and opportunities that Nigeria’s destiny truly lies.
At 65, Nigeria must confront some pressing questions:
- Why are 800 families in Nigeria losing a newborn baby every single day?
Saving newborn lives is a fundamental measure of a country’s overall health, development, and governance.
- Why are Nigerian children still dying from preventable diseases like malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia?
No child should lose their life to ailments that the world already knows how to prevent or cure. - Why do we still have more than 2 million zero dose children in Nigeria?
Immunization is one of the most impactful, equitable, and cost-effective ways to safeguard children’s health and ensure healthier societies.
- Why does child malnutrition remain widespread in a nation capable of producing enough food for itself and beyond?
A hungry child cannot learn, grow, or dream. - Why is access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) only available to 1 in 4 people in Nigeria?
WASH is a child’s first defence against disease.
- Why does air pollution remain a major threat to maternal, newborn, and child health in Nigeria despite evidence that its impact is preventable?
Reducing exposure to air pollution lowers the risk of pregnancy complications, supports healthy fetal growth, and decreases newborn and under-five mortality.
- Why are millions of Nigerian children homeless?
Every child deserves safety, shelter, and hope for the future
- Why are millions of Nigerian children still out of school despite decades of promises and abundant natural resources and why is the quality of public education so poor?
Education is the foundation of progress, yet countless children remain excluded from this basic right. - Why are Nigerian children not safe from kidnapping, trafficking, and abuse including child marriage in their own communities?
The safety of children should be the first responsibility of any nation. - Why do conflicts, insurgencies, and banditry continue to disrupt children’s lives, education, and future in many regions?
Peace is not optional; it is the soil in which childhood and nationhood take root. - Why are children with disabilities still denied equal access to quality education, healthcare, and social participation?
Inclusion is not charity; it is justice. - Why are rural and marginalized children left behind while urban children have comparatively better opportunities?
Geography should not determine destiny. - Why is so little of Nigeria’s wealth invested transparently and effectively in child-focused programs?
A nation’s budget is a moral document, revealing what it truly values. - Why are children’s voices, rights, and futures not at the center of national policies and leadership priorities?
The measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.
Nigeria at 65 cannot afford to keep pushing these questions aside. If we are to step into a future worthy of our people’s hopes, then children must come first—not in rhetoric, but in reality. Let this anniversary be not only a celebration of survival, but a turning point toward justice, dignity, and opportunity for every Nigerian child.
Long live the children of Nigeria.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Long live the Paediatric Association of Nigeria.
