FG, NBA, UNICEF Unveil Free Legal Services for Children

• The Federal Government, Nigerian Bar Association and UNICEF have launched a new partnership aimed at expanding access to pro bono legal services for children in conflict with the law and other vulnerable children across Nigeria.

The Federal Government, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched a partnership aimed at expanding access to pro bono legal services for children in conflict with the law and other vulnerable children across Nigeria.

The initiative was unveiled at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Monday, where representatives of the three institutions emphasised the need to ensure that children who come into contact with the justice system receive adequate legal representation and protection.

Representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, at the meeting, the Director of the Administration of Criminal Justice and Reform Department in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, said access to justice was a fundamental right of every child.

She said children who come into contact with the justice system, whether as victims, witnesses or alleged offenders, deserved protection and fair treatment.

“Access to justice is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right of every child,” she said. “A child who comes into contact with the law, whether as a victim, witness, or an actual offender, deserves a system that protects, not harms; that restores, not stigmatises; and that hears, not silences.”

Daniels said Nigeria had made significant progress in developing a legal and policy framework for child justice, citing the Child Rights Act 2003, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, state child rights laws and various diversion initiatives.

She added that justice for children had also been recognised as a distinct thematic area under the National Policy on Justice, providing a framework for a more inclusive and responsive justice system.

According to her, the Federal Government was prioritising children’s rights by addressing unnecessary detention and improving access to child-friendly justice mechanisms.

However, she stressed that the success of such reforms would ultimately be determined by what happens when children come into direct contact with the justice system.

“There is no real change outside. A real change is at the point of contact between the station and the courts,” Daniels said.

She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that children were not left behind in ongoing justice sector reforms.

UNICEF Calls for More Legal Representation

The UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, said the partnership was based on the principle that no child should be denied justice because of a lack of legal representation.

Saeed said children continued to face several challenges within the justice system, including detention without legal representation, delays in case management, limited access to diversion opportunities, weak referral systems and inadequate support services.

“Access to justice is not simply a legal issue. It is a child protection issue, a development issue, and a matter of human dignity,” she said.

She stressed that every child, whether a victim, survivor, witness or a child alleged to have committed an offence, deserved fair treatment, due process and an opportunity to have their voice heard.

Saeed said the NBA’s nationwide network of lawyers and professional structures could play a key role in institutionalising child-sensitive legal representation and creating sustainable pathways for pro bono services.

She urged the NBA to mobilise lawyers across its branches to provide free legal representation for children.

“Just imagine if every practising lawyer in each NBA branch handles a case pro bono on behalf of one child every year in Nigeria,” she said.

The UNICEF representative also called on the judiciary to promote child-sensitive procedures, urging state Chief Judges to consider issuing practice directions requiring mandatory age determination and consideration of diversion whenever a child is brought before a court for arraignment.

She said the success of the partnership would not be measured by its launch but by the practical impact it would have on vulnerable children.

NBA Pledges Support

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the partnership with UNICEF reaffirmed the legal profession’s commitment to ensuring that every child could access justice, protection and effective legal representation.

Osigwe noted that despite existing laws and policy reforms, many children continued to face significant barriers when accessing the justice system.

“Too often, children who are victims of violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, trafficking, child marriage, harmful traditional practices, or conflict with the law find themselves without adequate legal support when they need it most,” he said.

“For these children, lack of legal representation is a failure on our part.”

The NBA President said lawyers had a special responsibility to defend vulnerable children, stressing that the legal profession was not only about interpreting laws but also about protecting rights.

He called on lawyers across the country to dedicate their time, expertise and resources to child protection cases.

“When a child survivor of abuse requires legal representation, let there be a lawyer ready to stand by that child. When a child is unlawfully detained or denied due process, let there be a lawyer ready to defend that child’s rights,” Osigwe said.

He urged every NBA branch to establish or strengthen pro bono schemes dedicated to children and called on law firms to devote part of their professional time to child protection cases.

Osigwe also urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria to mentor younger lawyers in child-sensitive legal practice.

“This is not simply an act of charity. It is an act of justice,” he said.

“The true measure of our profession is not only the commercial transactions we facilitate or the disputes we resolve, but the extent to which we use our skills to protect the vulnerable and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law.”