The Zamfara state Child Protection Bill is ready for the State Executive Council’s approval, the State Field Manager, Save the Children International (SCI), Mr Murtala Bello, said.
Bello stated this on Tuesday in Gusau at the sensitisation meeting on the bill for media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state, organised by the REACH Project of the SCI.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Reaching and Empowering Adolescents to make Choices for their Health in Nigeria (REACH) project is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by the SCI in Zamfara and some other states in the north.
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Bello said domesticating the bill started in the state in 2009 by the SCI, in collaboration with stakeholders.
“After undergoing necessary reviews by stakeholders, especially the Council of Ulama and lawmakers sponsored by SCI and UNICEF, the bill is now fully domesticated inline with religious norms and culture of the state.
“The final draft copy of the bill is awaiting the state council’s approval before proceeding to the state house of assembly for legislation,’’ he said.
He called on the media to contribute their quota by advocating policymakers and relevant stakeholders to ensure speedy passage of the bill.
The Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator of the Reach project, Zainab Inyako, noted that the meeting was to intimate journalists and CSOs about the bill.
Inyako noted that if passed into law, the bill would address various violence and abuse against children, “therefore, the stage of the bill now requires effective media support.’’
“Our expectations of the participants at this meeting is to embark on advocacy, to contribute in the successful passage of the bill,’’ she said.
In his remark, the Chairman, Zamfara media and publicity consultant, Malam Nasiru Biyabiki, assured of the media’s continued support to ensure successful and speedy passage of the bill.
The Save the Children Fund, better known as Save the Children, was established in the UK in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, economic opportunities, providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war among others. (NAN)
