Nigeria marked the 2026 Children’s Day on May 27 with the usual fanfare, colourful parades, speeches, cultural displays and official promises about securing the future of the Nigerian child. Across many states, government officials stood on decorated podiums, smiling for cameras while school children marched gleefully in carefully rehearsed celebrations.
Yet, beyond the music, uniforms and ceremonial speeches lies a painful contradiction that exposes the deep moral crisis confronting the nation. While Nigeria celebrated its children, several school pupils and teachers abducted by bandits and terrorists in different parts of the country remain trapped in forests and criminal hideouts, uncertain whether they will ever regain freedom or reunite with their families.
This is a tragedy that should trouble the conscience of every Nigerian.
Children’s Day is meant to honour innocence, safety, dreams and the protection of young people. It is supposed to remind society of its sacred responsibility to defend children from violence, exploitation, fear and neglect. But what exactly did Nigeria celebrate this year when many children cannot sleep safely in their homes or attend school without fear of abduction?
