The Theme for today's celebration of all children is : "Unite to Reverse the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children".

The annually celebrated Children's Day offers a veritable platform to further the advocacy and promotion of childrens' rights, by creating more awareness of the challenges they face, such as, malnutrition, child labour, sexual abuse and all other vices.

Statistics shows that 42% of the Nigerian population are children, out of which 1/3 whose ages are between 6 and 14 are out of school.

In Nigeria today, children's rights are often violated but we are committed to reducing this trend to its barest minimum.

As enshrined in the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child(CRC) and the Child Rights Act (CRA, 2003), all children, irrespective of their status should not be deprived of their rights to Survival and Development.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, no doubt, affected our children but also opened a new vista in the teaching and learning process, thereby making most of them more technologically inclined.

Childhood is all about innocence, joy, peace, purity of heart, hope, freedom and possibilities. I therefore enjoin everyone to be instruments towards making our world a better and safer place for our children in particular and all mankind, in general.

Our children are the lights of today and the future of tomorrow and so there is the need for societies to invest in our children through strong institutions.

Happy Children's Day!!!

H.E. Barr. Chioma Uzodimma
First Lady, Imo State