For a child caught in Nigeria’s justice system, the absence of a lawyer can determine how long the child remains in detention, whether diversion is considered and whether rehabilitation is pursued.
A new partnership between the Nigerian Bar Association and the United Nations Children’s Fund is seeking to close that gap by expanding nationwide pro bono legal services for vulnerable children.
The initiative brings together the legal profession and major justice and child-protection institutions, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the National Judicial Institute, the Nigerian Correctional Service, development partners and civil society organisations.
Under the partnership, UNICEF and the NBA will train lawyers in child-sensitive justice, strengthen referrals, support diversion and rehabilitation, and expand legal representation for children who come into contact or conflict with the law.
Saeed urged the NBA to mobilise practitioners nationwide, noting that if every practising lawyer handled at least one pro bono child-justice case annually, access to justice for vulnerable children could increase significantly.
NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the partnership was founded on the principle that poverty, vulnerability, disability or other circumstances should never prevent a child from accessing justice.
In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Osigwe said lawyers would provide legal protection and effective representation to children whose rights are threatened.
The programme will establish a nationwide pro bono and referral network, equip lawyers to handle children’s cases more effectively and create opportunities for public-interest legal work.
Osigwe called on NBA branches, law firms, Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other practitioners to participate.
“Let us make pro bono service for children not merely a professional obligation, but a defining culture of our profession,” he said.
He thanked UNICEF and other stakeholders, saying their involvement reflected a shared commitment to strengthening child justice in Nigeria.
Representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Director of Criminal Justice and Reforms Department in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, outlined measures already supporting child justice.
Nigeria’s framework includes the Child Rights Act 2003, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, state Child Rights Laws, diversion initiatives and restorative justice mechanisms.
Fagbemi highlighted the recognition of “Justice for Children” as a distinct thematic area in the National Policy on Justice 2025. Its priorities include children’s rights awareness, expanded legal aid, diversion and restorative justice, ending unnecessary detention, child-friendly courts, specialised services and stronger institutional capacity.
He warned that legislation would have little effect without implementation at police stations, courts, correctional facilities and within communities.
The Federal Ministry of Justice has developed and is deploying the Prosecutors’ Guidelines on Handling Cases Involving Children and the Legal Aid Guidelines for Children in Contact with the Law, with UNICEF support.
Other measures include the Non-Custodial Sentencing Guidelines 2020 for the FCT High Court and a Harmonised Restorative Justice Training Curriculum and Manual promoting accountability, rehabilitation and reintegration rather than unnecessary criminalisation.
The Child Rights Act is also undergoing a clause-by-clause review following the inauguration of a review committee. Proposed amendments are expected to address digital safety, child marriage and justice reform, while strengthening provisions on legal representation, diversion, alternatives to detention, child participation and implementation.
The NBA-UNICEF partnership is designed to connect these legal measures with lawyers, justice institutions and child-protection services, giving vulnerable children a stronger route to representation and protection.
For Osigwe, the legal profession is at its best when it stands up for those who cannot defend themselves and the initiative marks the beginning of a more strategic effort to ensure children across Nigeria can access justice regardless of their circumstances.
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