MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — The 5th editor  World Congress on Justice with Children held a satellite event in Maiduguri on Monday, focusing on the urgent need to protect children within justice systems and address violence against them.

The gathering, themed “Advancing Child-Centred Justice: Preventing and Responding to Violence Affecting Children in the Child Justice Systems,” highlighted the profound impact of conflict on young lives in North-East Nigeria.

Cheikh Toure, the Country Director for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a key financier of the global event, emphasized the human toll. “This satellite event addresses a critical issue: an estimated 1,350 children have been affected by armed conflict,” Toure stated, underscoring UNODC’s commitment. “Children are central to who we are. Childhood isr a fundamental stage of life, and a healthy one is crucial for our well-being and development. We are advocating for children, understanding that they are vital to society.”


Toure also highlighted the demographic importance of West Africa’s youth, noting that nearly 60 percent of the region’s future development leaders are young people. “Investing in them is not a loss; it’s an opportunity for development,” he said, suggesting that focusing on sectors like creative industries, agribusiness, and agriculture could provide crucial alternatives for young people.


High light of the issues discussed centred around stigmatization faced by children and individuals rescued or surrendered from conflict.

Acknowledging the challenges Toure  stresses the need for inclusive approaches.

“The road ahead is long, but prevention, inclusive approaches, and the active involvement of community leaders – traditional leaders included – are essential to finding solutions,”  he added.


Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented by Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Hauwa Abubakar, pledged the state’s commitment to prioritizing children in decision-making, particularly concerning juvenile justice.

Barrister Abubakar described the event as timely, given the physical, emotional, and psychological suffering endured by children in Borno State during the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency. 

She promised that affected children would not be exploited or recruited as child soldiers.
The Governor’s representative vowed that the state government, through its Ministries of Justice and Women’s Affairs and Social Development, would work to protect children’s rights, ensuring access to education, justice, welfare, and protection from forced labor and conflict.

The joint declaration


The event was a collaborative effort by UNODC, the governments of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, Strive Juvenile, and Justice for Children, with funding from the European Union.


Youth parliament representatives from both state and national levels voiced their desire for a society that guarantees juvenile justice, asserting that “justice denied a child is a potential future denied.”


The congress concluded with the signing of a Joint Declaration on the Youth Call to Action: Protecting Children from Violence in Contexts of Insecurity, North-East Nigeria. The declaration affirmed: “We, the undersigned—representing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Governments of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, the Youth Peace Champions and the Children’s Parliament—celebrate the commitment of North-East Nigeria’s youth at the launch of this Call to Action, developed by young people across the region. We affirm our continued support for their efforts in protecting children from violence and promoting sustainable peace across North-East Nigeria.”


The declaration was signed by UNODC, representatives from the Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa State Governments, a Youth Peace Champion Representative from Borno State NESCOB, and the Speaker/Representative of the Children’s Parliament, marking a unified commitment to safeguarding the region’s most vulnerable population.