🎤 🎶 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗲, 𝗻𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼, 𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝘆 𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁… 🎶 Africa promised to prioritize children's rights through better planning and budgeting. But many years later, too many children still lack access to quality education, healthcare, safety, and opportunities. Since the African Union’s 2010 push for governments to prioritize child-focused planning and budgeting, progress has been uneven. Some countries have made commendable strides, integrating children’s rights into national development plans, increasing education budgets, and expanding healthcare access. Yet, too many children still wake up to hunger, learn under leaking roofs, or go unheard when they cry for help! Help!! Help!!! In Nigeria, just the other day somewhere in Benue state, tens - if not hundreds of children, and their families were brutally murdered, burnt beyond recognition. A horrid - wicked act, we must admit. 😭😭😭 In a continent with over 500 million children, how do we ensure that every cedi, naira, franc, and shilling counts for every child? When Budgets Speak, Do They Speak for Children? Planning for children is about intentional action, allocating resources to ensure: 👉Quality, inclusive education from early childhood 👉Accessible, child-friendly healthcare 👉Safe environments free from violence, abuse, or exploitation 👉Nutrition, shelter, and the right to play The Children Are Watching. The children are watching ooo. Oh! Okay, you think they are not watching, abi? Children do not sit in parliament or lead budget committees, but they notice. They see when leaders show up at ribbon-cuttings, but not when their schools need water. They feel it when funds are allocated for unprioritized lists, but none for their schools' reconstruction.😡 Going forward: Planning must be child-sensitive. Budgeting must be child-prioritized. And implementation must be child-justified. We must invest in data, to track spending, measure impact, and correct course where needed. The theme of this year’s Day of the African Child is a mirror reflecting how far African nations have come, and a map showing how far we must still go. Else, we will continue to sing Nigerian singer-songwriter - Omawunmi Megbele's 🎵If You Ask Me🎵🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️😔 Again, going forward - We must stop asking. We must start acting. Prioritizing. Tracking and measuring impacts. For the sake of every African child. Video Credit: Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation a member organization of the Nigeria Network of NGOs #calltoaction #dayoftheafricanchild2025 #childrights #budgetforchildren #investinchildren #planningforchildren #leavingnochildbehind #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #globalgoals