Children across Nigeria are imagining futures far brighter than the realities they wake up to each day. This is the defining message from the newly released UNICEF 2025 Report on Children in Nigeria, a document that captures the complex mix of hope, hardship and resilience seen across the country.
Despite facing poverty, insecurity, limited access to quality education and fragile health systems, Nigerian children continue to articulate dreams grounded in dignity and opportunity. They want clean water to drink, schools that prepare them for tomorrow, and clinics that can offer lifesaving care. Above all, they want adults—parents, teachers, leaders and caregivers—who listen, protect and guide them.
Yet the report makes clear that while these aspirations align closely with Nigeria’s national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals, the path to achieving them remains uneven and slow.
A Mixed Picture of Progress
UNICEF notes that some indicators have improved in recent years. A few states have made strides in school enrolment, immunisation coverage has risen in selected regions, and child-protection policies have gained more attention at federal and state levels.
But the report also shows that millions of children still lack the basics needed to survive—much less thrive.
Large numbers of children continue to live without access to clean water and sanitation. Many schools remain overcrowded, underfunded and poorly staffed. In rural clinics and primary healthcare centres, shortages of essential medicines and trained personnel are still common. For children in conflict-affected states, the threat of violence—whether at school, at home or on the streets—remains a daily concern.
UNICEF warns that this uneven progress creates a widening gap between policy commitments and the lived realities of families struggling under economic strain, inflation and insecurity.
Children’s Voices at the Centre
One of the most compelling aspects of the 2025 report is its reliance on first-hand accounts. Rather than reducing children to statistics, UNICEF places their voices and experiences at the heart of the narrative.
In Zamfara State, a 12-year-old girl talks about spending hours fetching water every morning before school. For her, education is important, but survival comes first.
In Rivers State, a teenage boy expresses his dream of becoming a doctor. But his secondary school lacks science teachers, and the laboratory has not functioned in years. He wonders how he will compete with peers who have better resources.
In the North-East, children describe the psychological toll of living in communities affected by conflict—fear of attacks, disrupted schooling, and the pressure to work or marry early.
In Lagos and Abuja, children speak of different but equally troubling realities: overcrowded classrooms, unsafe neighbourhoods, and the emotional weight of economic hardship on their families.
These voices expose the complexity of childhood in Nigeria—one shaped by geography, socioeconomic status, gender and security conditions.
The Weight of Inequality
The report paints a stark picture of inequality. A child born in a well-serviced urban community has a significantly better chance of accessing education, healthcare and nutrition than a child born in a rural or conflict-affected area.
For instance:
Children in many rural communities must walk long distances to fetch water or attend school.
Girls face a higher risk of early marriage and dropping out of school.
Children with disabilities remain among the least supported, often excluded from school or healthcare entirely.
High inflation and unemployment mean families are making difficult choices—sometimes pulling children out of school or reducing meals.
These disparities, UNICEF warns, threaten Nigeria’s long-term development. Without urgent corrective action, the country risks raising a generation whose dreams are stifled by circumstances beyond their control.
Policies in Place, Implementation Still Weak
Nigeria has, on paper, strong child-protection policies. It has endorsed numerous national and regional frameworks aimed at improving children’s welfare. However, UNICEF’s findings suggest that implementation remains weak, often hindered by limited funding, bureaucracy and poor coordination among agencies.
The report urges government at all levels to translate commitments into measurable outcomes by: increasing investment in basic education and primary healthcare;
expanding clean water and sanitation facilities to underserved communities;
strengthening child-protection systems to prevent abuse, violence and exploitation; building resilient systems capable of withstanding economic and security shocks.
UNICEF emphasises that achieving meaningful change will require collaboration between government, civil society, community leaders and international partners.
Hope in the Midst of Hardship
Despite the challenges outlined, the 2025 report is not a story of despair. It is a story of resilience.
Children across Nigeria still hold on to hope. They express dreams of becoming teachers, engineers, health workers, artists and leaders. Their optimism, UNICEF notes, is a powerful reminder that Nigeria’s youngest citizens have not given up on the country.
These dreams—simple yet profound—provide a roadmap for action. They demand accountability from institutions and compassion from adults. They also highlight the urgent need to invest in children as the foundation for national progress.
A Call to Action
As UNICEF concludes, the dreams of Nigeria’s children represent both an opportunity and a challenge. They show what is possible, but also what is urgently needed.
For Nigeria to achieve its development goals, it must close the gap between policy and practice. It must create systems that support every child, regardless of their background. And it must act now—because the wellbeing of children today determines the nation’s strength tomorrow.
The future Nigerian children imagine is not out of reach. But it requires decisive leadership, sustained investment, and a commitment to ensuring that every child can grow, learn, stay safe, and dream freely.