The YouthhubAfrica Child Right Bill Advocacy Project focuses on improving Basic Education, school enrolment, retention, and completion in Nigeria with a special interest in reducing the number of out of schoolgirls in Nigeria and Northern Nigeria in Particular.
In 2017, YouthHubAfrica worked with 35 Media personnel and 5 Local partners from across 5 states- Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Oyo, and Kebbi State. The media personnel was carefully chosen from across different media platforms including Print, TV, Radio, and Online,and trained in the basics of advocacy, understanding how laws are passed in Nigeria, understanding the child right Law, the basic education challenge in Nigeria and how to use their existing media platforms to push for the passage and full implementation of the Child Right Act in the focal states through independent reporting. Mini-Grants were provided to support 10 media personnel whose work-plans were outstanding. Over 40 news items, jingles, blog posts, newspaper reports, and features were created in the first year. The CSOs worked with other local organizations to push for the campaign objectives through advocacy, letter writing, and signature collections. Over 5000 signatures were collected from all the states and submitted to the legislatures and the Governors of the 5 states. In Kaduna, the Bill passed second reading after a public hearing.
Civil Society Stakeholders’ meeting on the Child Rights Law in Kebbi State. #ChildRightsNG
Civil Society Stakeholders’ meeting on the Child Rights Law in Sokoto State. #ChildRightsNG
Civil Society Stakeholders’ meeting on the Child Rights Law in Kano State. #ChildRightsNG
In 2018, the CRIBAP was scaled up for maximum impact in ensuring the passage of the Child Right Bill in all States within Nigeria. Under the CRIBAP, there is the Child Right Media Advocacy Fellowship where 10 journalists have been trained and awarded mini-grants to create media contents and independent child rights and education related report using their existing media platforms. The international Girls Day rallies held in 4 states (Kano, Kebbi, and Sokoto) was part of the CRIBAP project aimed at calling attention to the child right law passage and putting pressure on the stakeholders in the state to pass the bill into law and particularly its effect on the girl-child education in Northern Nigeria. Also, coalitions of Civil Society Organisations working on Child right related issues were formed in the four targeted states while perception survey was carried out to measure the citizens’ perception on girls education and other related issues such as child marriage and age of consent. A policy brief was developed to capture and present the realities in regards to the state of the CRA in the states. The Policy brief is currently been used for advocacy and to further push for the domestication and implementation of the CRA in the targeted states. Kaduna State finally passed and signed the CRA into law as Child Welfare and Protection Law.
Child Right Media Advocacy Training in Kaduna
International Day of Girl Child - ChildRightsBill Match
In 2019, the CRIBAP will focus on working with a new cohort of media Fellows in the 2nd Child right advocacy media advocacy fellowship, providing financial support for the new fellows to continue to use their media platforms to for the passage of the CRA in the States that are yet to domesticate the law. YouthHubAfrica will also step up activity with the CSOs coalition, carry out another perception survey , develop a policy brief to document the experience and carry out a rally each in the 4 foal states to further pressure the house of State Assemblies and the executive on the importance of the CRA.
