Impediments to the realisation of the Child's Rights Act: The case of Nigeria

Abstract

Enacting the Child's Rights Act in 2003 was a significant step towards realizing the child's universally recognized rights, such as the rights to survival, development, and protection. The provisions of the law have also been domesticated in some of the 36 states of the country. However, while recognizing the rights of the child is a commendable start, the provisions of the Act have been very difficult to actualize. After several years of enactment, the child is still far from fully enjoying the protection granted under the Act. This is due to several factors discussed in this article, which include law-related causes, access to and affordability of institutional safeguards, corruption, administrative, religious, economic, and socio-cultural issues. This article argues that a careful evaluation of these problems with a view to resolving them will assist in the actualization of the Child’s Right Act.