Dr Maryam Ismaila-Keshinro, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, has pledged her support for the National Child Rights Implementation Committee (NCRIC) in advocating for children’s rights.
She made this commitment when the NCRIC members, led by Co-chairman Mr MacJohn Nwobiala, paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Ismaila-Keshinro emphasised the importance of prioritising children’s rights for the nation’s future and assured that regular meetings with key stakeholders would be held.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) about the meeting’s purpose, Nwobiala explained that the committee visited to familiarise the permanent secretary with its activities.
According to him, the Act establishing the committee designates the Permanent Secretary as its Chairperson.
“The visit was an opportunity to brief her, share ideas, highlight challenges, and propose recommendations.
“This meeting was well attended, with most of our key agencies present. It was arranged at short notice, and the Permanent Secretary readily agreed to it.
“I believe she accepted because of her background, not only is she a paediatrician by profession, but she also has a deep passion for children’s welfare. She is an advocate for child rights and is truly in the right position to drive this agenda,” Nwobiala said.
He noted that expectations are high for her leadership in promoting children’s rights and ensuring their protection.
“Even before this meeting, she had already initiated various programmes focused on children’s welfare. Several NGOs and ministries were represented at this meeting, which marks our first engagement with her,” he added.
He said the committee and the Permanent Secretary agreed to hold regular meetings, either physically or virtually, to ensure continuous engagement.
“Additionally, she pledged to facilitate a meeting between the committee and the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, as soon as possible.
“We have also agreed to launch and publicise several pending reports and guidelines without delay.
“Furthermore, letters will be sent to agencies that are supposed to be on the NCRIC but have not been actively participating, with the permanent secretary personally signing them, ”he said.
Nwobiala described the meeting as highly productive and expressed optimism that the committee would experience a renewed sense of purpose.
“We have faced many challenges, but with the permanent secretary at the helm, we are hopeful that positive changes will begin to take place. We are very optimistic,” he said.
