By Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
Nigeria has entered the real phase of campaigns for public offices, including the presidency of Nigeria, the largest Black nation in the world, as well as strategic positions in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. Political parties and their candidates are already talking about the development and infrastructure agendas they intend to present to Nigerians as their unique blueprints for the advancement of the country.
There are already heated debates about the national economy, particularly the high rate of inflation, lack of employment opportunities for a clear majority of qualified school leavers and graduates, and the suffocating cost-of-living crisis created by the unpredictable and often rising prices of petrol, gas and diesel.
Among the major presidential contenders are President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who reportedly travelled to Europe around the time the campaign period was authorised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Mr Peter Obi; and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In this reflection, we are concerned with the need to challenge public office seekers, particularly presidential and National Assembly candidates, to embrace what we describe as the compassionate and caring leadership qualities necessary to develop and implement a comprehensive children’s development agenda for vulnerable Nigerian children.
For a very long time, particularly since the return of democratic rule in 1999, successive administrations have failed to vigorously implement a comprehensive programme of compassion and care for children, despite their precarious position as the most vulnerable members of our society.
What Is a Compassionate Leader?
Peter Robinson of Team Management Services wrote that being a compassionate leader involves demonstrating understanding and kindness towards others while effectively guiding and inspiring them to achieve common goals.
Compassion is a vital quality for leaders because it fosters trust, collaboration and a positive working environment.
Some of the key attributes of a compassionate leader include understanding and acknowledging the feelings and perspectives of team members; putting oneself in their shoes to comprehend their challenges and experiences; listening attentively without interruption in order to understand their concerns and needs; providing a safe space for open communication and feedback; and offering emotional and practical support during difficult times or challenges.
A compassionate leader should also encourage people to grow and develop both personally and professionally, treat everyone with respect regardless of their position, background or beliefs, and recognise and value the unique contributions of each individual.
Among the other qualities of a compassionate leader is the ability to communicate openly and honestly with members of a team, sharing information, goals and expectations clearly while addressing concerns and feedback promptly and honestly.
According to Robinson, incorporating these traits into a leadership style can create a compassionate and inclusive work culture, leading to increased engagement, productivity and overall well-being among team members.
Last month, the Singapore Government announced a new child support package that will provide every Singaporean child with almost $70,000 in direct financial support from birth to the age of 17, regardless of birth order.
According to The Straits Times, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the $62,000 SG Child Support Package during his National Day Rally speech on August 23.
The package includes a $10,000 Baby Gift in cash and $32,000 in Child Credits, alongside a $5,000 Child Development Account First Step Grant, up to $5,000 in government CDA co-matching contributions, and a $10,000 top-up to the child’s Post-Secondary Education Account.
Wong said the Government wanted to move beyond making small adjustments to existing family-support schemes.
The work, he said, was still ongoing, with the Government aiming for more than incremental improvements or changes to individual schemes. The objective was to make a fundamental shift in how families are supported.
When combined with existing benefits, including the $5,000 MediSave Grant for Newborns and annual Edusave contributions during primary and secondary school, the new measures will bring the total direct financial support available to each Singaporean child to around $70,000 from birth to the age of 17.
This represents an increase from the current level of between $27,500 and $56,500 received by children, depending on their birth order.
As of June, more than 610,000 children across about 380,000 households were expected to benefit from the measures.
Wong said the new system would simplify the existing family-support structure, which varies depending on whether a child is the first, second or subsequent child.
He said the existing schemes had become quite complex and that many parents found them difficult to understand.
Under the new system, every child will receive the same level of support, with more assistance provided not only at birth but throughout childhood as children grow.
Under the package, the $10,000 Baby Gift will be paid in two instalments within 12 months of a child’s birth, providing additional financial assistance during the costly first year.
The $32,000 Child Credits will provide $2,000 annually from the year a child turns one until the year they turn 16.
The scheme replaces and expands the existing Large Family LifeSG Credits, which currently provide $1,000 annually for six years to each third and subsequent child.
Under the new arrangement, the annual payment will double to $2,000, continue for 16 years and become available to children regardless of birth order.
The CDA First Step Grant will provide $5,000, while parents will be eligible for up to another $5,000 through government co-matching contributions.
The CDA will also remain open until the end of the year a child turns 16, instead of closing when the child turns 12 under the current system.
When a child turns 17, the Government will provide another $10,000 top-up to their PSEA to help offset the cost of higher education.
The new package will also benefit Singaporean children who are already aged between one and 17 in 2026, with transitional arrangements put in place for children currently receiving support under existing schemes.
Large families with three or more children will continue to receive additional assistance, particularly in areas such as healthcare, transport and housing.
The Government is also studying ways to extend the existing $5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant to eligible large families that have yet to receive it. This writer classifies this above Singaporean child friendly programme as the best actualisation of a compassionate and caring leadership.
Borrowing from the attributes of a compassionate leader as enunciated by Peter Robinson, we can conclusively assert that the time has come for the implementation of the idea and concept of compassionate and caring leadership in Nigeria.
This becomes necessary because, if we look around the country, we will see that child poverty, insecurity and declining living standards have become the order of the day. It is practically impossible to point to any government institution at either the national or subnational level that has sufficiently prioritised the critical need to mainstream a children’s development agenda as one of the core and implementable national blueprints for the advancement of Nigeria.
The country has a Child Rights Act, but the current statutory framework for the protection and promotion of the human rights of Nigerian children is not strong enough to eradicate child abuse and violations of children’s human rights.
This is where this opinion piece becomes particularly relevant. It is intended to challenge and call upon presidential and National Assembly candidates to tell Nigerians what they are bringing to the table to grow, develop and fundamentally protect children in Nigeria and shield them from the dangers already highlighted above.
The time to hear from them is now.
At various times, child psychologists and statisticians have rated Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places in the world in which to be born a child.
Nigeria has also been rated by scholars and international organisations as one of the most dangerous countries in which to raise children.
Among countries across the world, Nigeria has ranked among the lowest-performing nations in assessments of maternal and child well-being. This was highlighted in reports associated with Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers assessments.
Finland has consistently ranked among the safest countries for mothers and children, followed by countries such as Norway, Sweden and Iceland. Several African countries have occupied the lower end of such global rankings.
Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also accounted for a significant proportion of child deaths in some international assessments.
Somalia has, in some reports, been ranked among the most dangerous countries for pregnant women and young children because of natural disasters and persistent conflict.
Such reports have highlighted the devastating effects of maternal mortality, child mortality, poor healthcare, inadequate education and weak economic conditions on mothers and children.
Health, education and economic conditions are among the factors used to determine the safety and well-being of mothers and children across countries.
For a clearer understanding of the Nigerian situation, we must examine the condition of the country’s public healthcare system. Under the current administration of President Tinubu, concerns have been raised about the funding of national health infrastructure and the implementation of capital budgets in the health sector.
The Minister of Health has also reportedly disclosed that only a small proportion of the billions of naira allocated to the health sector’s capital budget in a previous year had been cash-backed.
Against the backdrop of these concerns about institutional neglect of public health services in Nigeria, there is another sad reality: thousands of children are trafficked and exploited, while so-called baby factories continue to operate in different parts of the country.
In some of these establishments, vulnerable pregnant teenagers and young women are reportedly exploited, while newborn babies are sold or abandoned.
To put this in proper context, within the last week in Abuja, the police reportedly recovered three newborn babies who had allegedly been abandoned by their mothers.
One can then imagine what may be happening in rural communities, where millions of neglected young girls and boys live in conditions of extreme vulnerability.
Early pregnancy has become a serious social and health concern, yet there appears to be inadequate strategic investment by local and state governments to protect vulnerable girls who are impregnated by men old enough to be their fathers.
Worse still, many rural communities do not have adequate access to skilled law-enforcement personnel and social services capable of protecting children who face serious threats to their safety and development.
In the last two years, there have also been numerous reported cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation in Nigeria.
There have been particularly disturbing cases involving parents and guardians accused of sexually abusing children. In some instances, children have allegedly been exploited for the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
There have also been cases in which fathers have allegedly sexually abused their young daughters, with some of these children becoming pregnant.
Below are some reported cases that illustrate the seriousness of the problem:
Police Arrest Father for Tying Up and Beating 13-Year-Old Son
September 10, 2026
It has emerged that operatives of the Abia State Police Command have arrested a man, identified as Uzoma Uwaeme, for allegedly stripping, tying up and flogging his 13-year-old son under the scorching sun in Aba, Abia State.
The Abia State Police Command disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday, noting that the suspect is the victim’s biological father and that the child’s mother had allegedly left the marriage.
The arrest was reportedly triggered by a viral video on social media showing the teenager bound with ropes, visibly injured and exposed to harsh weather conditions.
In response to the video, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Afolabi, reportedly directed operatives of the Abayi Divisional Police Headquarters to locate and apprehend the suspect at his residence on Nwokocha Street, off Udeabara Road, Aba.
Confirming the arrest, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, disclosed that the teenager had been rescued and given medical treatment.
“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation, as the suspect is in police custody. The victim has received medical attention, is in stable condition, and is currently under the protective custody of the police,” Chinaka stated.
CP Afolabi was also reported to have strongly condemned the alleged act, describing it as inhumane, barbaric and a gross violation of the rights of the child.
71-Year-Old Landlord Allegedly Impregnates Tenant’s 14-Year-Old Child
May 9, 2024
A 71-year-old man identified as Adesina was reportedly arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly impregnating his tenant’s 14-year-old child.
Adesina was reportedly caught having sexual intercourse with the minor in the bathroom of the house at about 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
The septuagenarian was allegedly arrested by neighbours and community members who witnessed the incident and raised the alarm.
Sexual intercourse with a minor may constitute a serious criminal offence under Nigerian law, depending on the circumstances and applicable legislation.
The teenager was taken to hospital by her father for a medical examination. The results reportedly showed that the teenager was about six weeks pregnant.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, reportedly said that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
The landlord was arrested and detained.
The father reportedly said the suspect was caught sexually abusing his 14-year-old daughter in their bathroom.
The teenager was taken to Tamara Hospital in Akute for a medical examination.
According to the police spokesperson, the medical examination indicated that the alleged abuse had not occurred for the first time and that the teenager was approximately six weeks pregnant.
Odutola reportedly stated that the State Criminal Investigation Department in Eleweran would take over the matter for further investigation.
The results of further investigations would determine whether the landlord was responsible for the pregnancy or whether another person was responsible.
Pastor Accused of Turning Daughter Into Sex Slave in Church Vestry
November 25, 2019
A 20-year-old woman identified as Fortune from Akwa Ibom State reportedly came forward with allegations that her biological father, Apostle Williams Okon Bassey, had sexually abused her in his church vestry and threatened to place a curse on her if she revealed the alleged abuse to anyone.
According to the young woman, her father allegedly made the payment of her school fees conditional upon her having sexual relations with him.
She further alleged that her father demanded sex from her before paying her other expenses.
The traumatised woman reportedly told the police that she was only 13 years old when the alleged sexual abuse began.
Her father, who was described as the presiding pastor of Mount Zion Light House Full Gospel Church on Obio Imo Lane in Uyo, was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Odiko MacDon, reportedly said that six people, including another pastor, had been arrested in connection with allegations of incest and defilement.
According to reports, the victim alleged that the abuse led to three pregnancies, which were subsequently terminated.
She also reportedly alleged that the first incident occurred in the church vestry and that her father threatened to place a curse on her if she disclosed the alleged abuse.
These are just a few of the many cases of child abuse reported in Nigeria. Many other cases are never reported, while thousands of young girls and boys are trafficked within and outside Nigeria for sexual exploitation.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) faces an enormous challenge in confronting the scale of human trafficking and exploitation in the country.
Many Nigerian teenage girls are reportedly transported illegally by traffickers to countries including Libya, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where some are forced into commercial sexual exploitation to generate money for their traffickers, many of whom are also Nigerians.
Many children in public schools also undertake their studies in dilapidated facilities, while millions of schoolchildren trek long distances to school in scorching sunshine and heavy rain.
Some children are exposed to sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation on their way to and from school.
These are issues that candidates for public office should engage with and clearly define the strategies, programmes and policies they intend to implement to address the social vices and dangers confronting Nigerian children.
Presidential candidates should explain what innovative solutions they have developed to strengthen NAPTIP and other law-enforcement agencies so that they can proactively prevent the trafficking of Nigerian children into sexual exploitation and slavery, both within Nigeria and beyond the country’s borders.
Legislative frameworks must be strengthened, while state governments must work in synergy with federal agencies to eradicate this menace.
I ask again, dear presidential candidates: Do you have a compassionate and caring agenda for Nigerian children that you intend to implement?
What about ensuring that the relevant agencies function optimally to protect Nigerian children?
Agencies and institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission, NAPTIP, state ministries responsible for children and social development, the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Government must effectively deliver a constructive children’s development agenda in Nigeria under the close supervision of the next president.
Can we now have a national conversation among public office seekers about their initiatives for the development and advancement of Nigerian children?
Can President Tinubu tell Nigerians why his administration has not, in the view of its critics, demonstrated sufficient compassionate and caring leadership in confronting the hydra-headed monsters threatening the lives and futures of Nigerian children?
Can he also tell Nigerians whether he now has a comprehensive agenda for the development and advancement of Nigerian children?
The Nigerian child deserves nothing less than a government that cares, protects, invests and plans for the future.
The 2027 elections therefore provide an opportunity for Nigerians to demand concrete answers from every presidential and legislative candidate.
Compassion should not merely be a campaign slogan. It should be reflected in budgets, policies, institutions and measurable programmes that protect children, educate them, provide healthcare, prevent trafficking and exploitation, and give every
