FG unveils activities for 2026 Children’s Day celebration

The federal government has unveiled activities for the 2026 National Children’s Day celebration, with a renewed focus on child inclusion, protection, family values and investment in the future of Nigerian children.

Speaking at a joint ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim announced the theme for the 2026 celebration as “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child.”

The minister said the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to ensuring that every Nigerian child is protected, educated and empowered regardless of gender, religion, disability, ethnicity or social background.

“National Children’s Day is not merely ceremonial but a national moment of reflection, accountability, and renewed commitment toward safeguarding the future of our nation through deliberate investment in children,” she said.

According to her, children account for more than 45 per cent of Nigeria’s population, making child protection and development central to national growth and stability.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Families and Social Development” reinforces the importance of family institutions in child upbringing and emotional security.

“The family remains the child’s first school, first place of identity, and first environment of emotional security,” the minister stated.

She said the Children’s Day theme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention programme aimed at strengthening social protection and inclusion across the country.