Nigeria loses N1.42 trillion to violence against children - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Nigeria is losing the sum of N1.42 trillion annually due to the economic burden of Violence Against Children (VAC), reports NaijaAgroNet.

This was contained in the 2019 Financial Benchmark and Economic Burden of Violence Against Children report on Lagos State presented today by the chief protection specialist at the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Juliane Koenig on behalf of the duo, Prof. Obinna Okwudili and Dr. Emmanuel Nwosu, both of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), who conducted the research on behalf of the Federal Government.

The reports were in two parts namely the "Economic Burden of Violence Against Children" and "Financial Benchmark for Child Protection." They were later unveiled by guests led by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of  Youths and Social Development, Dr. (Mrs.) Bola Balogun.

Disclosing this in Lagos, the report supported by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, United States AID (USAID), Ministero Dell Interno, European Union (EU), and UN Women, Koenig said, on the average, that Nigeria loses N1.42 trillion annually associated to deaths and disability resulting from acts of violence against children.

“This is equivalent to 1.6 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” she said, stressing that the economic burden of violence against children has a tripartite burdens based on physical, sexual and emotional violence respectively.

She pointed out that on physical violence, Nigeria’s economic burden is worth N1,008 billion, which amounts to 52 per cent of boys and 50 per cent of girls in Nigeria being victims of physical violence prior to age 18.

On the sexual violence, the researchers said that Nigeria losses N307 billion based on the 11 per cent of boys and 25 per cent of girls in Nigeria being victims of sexual violence prior to attaining the age 18, which on average cost Nigeria N307 billion annually.

Nigeria, the researchers noted lost some N91 billion to emotional violence meted to some 20 per cent boys and 17 per cent of girls in the country.

“On average, emotional violence against children costs Nigeria N91 billion annually,” part of the economic burden revealed.

The launch held at the Dover Hotel, Ikeja-Lagos, saw in attendance some Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs) Bola Balogun, and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Lagos State, Mrs. Funmi Balogun, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Lagos, Mr. Dennis.

Also in attendance were stakeholders from the Lagos State Bureau of Statistic, Lagos State Ministries of Education, Justice, Health and Lagos State Office of the Accountant General, in addition to the Lagos State Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Health Service Commission. Representatives of the Domestic Sexual and Violence Response Team (DSVRT) Lagos and Assistant Director Social Development Department from the Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mrs. Grace Obi-Ukpabi.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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