Two out of every three Nigerian children live in multidimensional poverty, lacking basic necessities such as healthcare, quality education, clean water, adequate nutrition, and protection, according to the Nigerian Child 2025 Report.
The report was launched on Thursday in Abuja by UNICEF to mark World Children’s Day 2025, highlighting both the harsh realities facing children and progress made in several areas across the country.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, said the findings show millions of children remain trapped in conditions that limit their growth, development, and future potential, with many unable to access basic services.
“Two in every three children in Nigeria are living in multidimensional poverty,” Saeed said, adding that 25 per cent of children aged five to 17 are engaged in child labour, while one in three girls is married.
She noted that 2.2 million children remain unvaccinated, 40 per cent of under-fives are stunted due to chronic malnutrition, and 10.2 million children are still out of school, mostly in the North-East and North-West regions.
Saeed added that one in four children in rural areas lack access to safe drinking water, while 30 per cent of households still practice open defecation, highlighting major sanitation and water access challenges.
Children in conflict-affected states face deeper vulnerability, she said, with more than 1.5 million internally displaced across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, further complicating access to education, nutrition, protection, and essential social services.
“In spite of these challenges, the report highlights progress from government-led efforts and development partnerships, including expanded routine immunization campaigns, increased school enrollment, and improved access to clean water for more than five million people,” she said.
Saeed emphasized that the report demonstrates both the urgency of action and the potential for change when stakeholders collaborate, noting that millions of children are already benefiting from vaccines, schooling, and social protection services.
“The report also shows that under-five deaths have dropped by 43 per cent since 1990, exclusive breastfeeding has risen from 2 per cent to 29 per cent, and vaccination coverage has tripled from 13 per cent to 39 per cent,” she said.
She stressed that these gains demonstrate what can be achieved through collective responsibility and urged the government, partners, donors, the private sector, and communities to prioritize the well being of Nigerian children nationwide.
“With nearly half of Nigeria’s population under 18, every investment in children is an investment in peace, productivity, and national progress. They are our responsibility, and they are our future,” Saeed added.
It was reported that World Children’s Day is celebrated globally to promote and protect the rights of children and marks the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
