NBA, UNICEF Lead Charge to End Child Detention at 2025 Enugu Conference
At the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Enugu State, legal minds from across Nigeria and the international community gathered to address one of the most urgent challenges in the nation’s justice system, ending the detention of children.
A special breakout session, themed “Ending Child Detention: The Role of the NBA in Advancing Justice and Reintegration”, brought together a distinguished panel of experts. The line‑up included Dr. Uju Agomoh as Lead Speaker, Mr. Kayode David, James Ibor, Esq., Nkiru Maduechesi, and Moderator Prof. Uche Emelonye, with coordination by Mona Aika on behalf of UNICEF.
The discussions at this session laid the foundation for a broader joint call to action by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the NBA, urging immediate reforms to safeguard children’s rights within Nigeria’s legal and justice systems.
In a joint press release issued on 28 August 2025, UNICEF and the NBA reiterated their shared commitment to ensuring that every child — particularly the most vulnerable, has access to fair, timely, and child‑sensitive justice.
This advocacy formed a central pillar of the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference, which drew over 20,000 participants, including lawyers, policymakers, development partners, academics, media representatives, and civil society actors, under the conference theme “Stand Out and Stand Tall.”
Speaking at the high‑level session, Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, stressed the importance of placing children’s rights at the heart of national legal discourse. She noted that the NBA’s influence could drive systemic change towards a justice system that protects rather than punishes children.
The NBA–UNICEF partnership is anchored on four priority areas: promoting alternatives to detention and reducing overcrowding in juvenile facilities; strengthening child protection systems at state and community levels; expanding access to legal aid for children in conflict with the law; and advocating for the full implementation of the Child Rights Act across all 36 states.
As the foremost professional body for Nigerian lawyers, the NBA was called upon to leverage its reach and authority to champion reforms that make the justice system more child‑friendly.
Responding to this call, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, acknowledged Nigeria’s progress in enacting child protection laws but highlighted persistent enforcement gaps. He reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment, alongside UNICEF, to ensuring that legal institutions meet both national and international standards for child rights.
This year’s conference, he said, offers a powerful platform for collective action, uniting the legal profession, policymakers, and civil society in a shared mission to protect and reintegrate children in conflict with the law.
The collaboration between UNICEF and the NBA signals a growing movement within Nigeria’s legal sector to translate commitments into tangible results. UNICEF underscored that justice for children must be rooted in protection, empowerment, and reintegration, not punishment.
With the NBA’s leadership and UNICEF’s technical expertise, this partnership aims to reshape Nigeria’s justice landscape — ensuring that the rights and dignity of every child are upheld, and that the legal profession remains at the forefront of advancing justice for the nation’s youngest citizens.
