Let me be honest, when people talk about child services in Nigeria, I just shake my head. What child services? Where are they? Because from what I’ve seen and experienced, there’s almost nothing like that in most parts of Nigeria. Children are suffering every day, yet nobody is coming to their aid. Families are struggling, and children are the ones paying the highest price.
Growing up in Nigeria, I saw many children go through hard times. Children used to hawk in the hot sun, clean houses, work as maids, and do all sorts of jobs just to help their families survive. Some never went to school, some dropped out to take care of their younger ones, and others were abused by people they were sent to live with. I know of a girl who was doing all kinds of errands just to feed her family. She was doing the work of an adult at a very young age. It broke my heart, but that was her reality. Nobody from any agency came to help. Nobody asked questions. It was as if her suffering didn’t matter.
People are just now beginning to speak up for children in this country. The older generation didn’t care much. They believed a child must suffer and struggle to become “strong.” If a child complained, they called them lazy or disrespectful. Back then, beating, starving, or overworking a child was seen as discipline. Now, things are slowly changing. This generation is learning to listen, speak out, and protect children but it’s not enough. We need a proper system.
In other developed countries, child services are quick to act. If a child is being abused or neglected, they step in immediately. But here in Nigeria, even when people report serious cases, nothing happens. It’s either they tell you to settle it at home, or the case is ignored. By the time anyone pays attention, the damage is already done.
One thing I noticed is that poverty plays a bigger role too. Most families don’t mistreat their children because they want to. They simply don’t have the means to care for them properly. A woman may send her daughter to hawk because there’s no food at home. A boy may be forced to work instead of going to school because the parents can’t afford fees. In such cases, what exactly is child services doing? If we had a working system, they would provide support not just take children away or act like the family is the enemy.
Another problem is that in Nigeria, we don’t really know where to report to. If I see a child being beaten brutally or starving, who do I call? Where do I go? Is there even a working hotline? Most times, people just mind their business because they don’t want trouble or they know nothing will come out of it. That’s how children continue to suffer in silence.
Child services in Nigeria, if they really exist need to do more than just sit in offices. They need to be active in communities, in schools, and on the streets. They need to work with local leaders and be open to reports from everyday people. They also need to investigate cases properly and avoid blaming poor parents without giving them help.
Honestly, what we need in this country is not just child services on paper. We need a working system, real people who care, who follow up, who fight for children. We need trained officials and make sure help reaches the people who need it. It’s not enough to say “We care about children.” Our actions must show it. If child services in Nigeria want to be taken seriously, they have to step up and do the work because too many children are still waiting for help that may never come.
This is my response to this episode of hivelearners community prompt of
#hl-W165E02 which the topic is tagged CHILD SERVICES
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