COVID-19 and the Social Protection of Nigerian Child

Abstract

Children are important members of Nigeria society. In a bid to offer some fresh ideas on how children are protected during outbreak of infectious disease and government’s strategies in saving the life of every Nigerian child, the study examined how far Nigeria government’s social protection strategies are able to protect the vulnerable Nigerian Child from the Wuhan (China) COVID 19 with special emphasis on vulnerable children living in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study used secondary data (editorial review of seven newspapers based on their publication from February when Nigeria had its first Index case to October 2020. The secondary data was used because of the national lockdown, protests and riots within the State at the time of study. The editorial documents used were on impact of COVID 19 on children and how government social protection strategies influenced the prevalence of the virus among vulnerable children. The study showed that there are inadequacies in government social protection strategies especially as it relates to the domestication of the Child’s Rights Acts as enshrined in the constitution and other gazette of the Nigeria federation by all levels of government. This continuous disregard of Child Rights Acts would not only increase the emergency of highly vulnerable children but could also serve as a feeder team in viruses and infectious disease spread in the society. The study concludes that the relevance of social protection strategies in a state like Lagos and Nigeria nation as a whole cannot be underestimated. This is largely due to the role it plays in reducing disease spread and crimes.