On average, deaths, and disability resulting from acts of violence against children cost Nigeria N1.42 trillion annually.
The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria loses over N1.4 trillion every year to violence against children.
A consultant with Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF, Mrs. Rita Pele, stated this at the inauguration of the reports on Financial Benchmark and Economic Burden of Violence Against Children in Nigeria in Jos on Wednesday.
The documents were for Gombe and Plateau states.
According to Pele, the figures represent 1.6 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
She explained that the figures were based on the survey conducted in 2019 by the federal government in collaboration with UNICEF.
“On average, deaths, and disability resulting from acts of violence against children cost Nigeria N1.42 trillion annually.
“This is equivalent to 1.6 percent of Nigeria’s GDP. This includes physical, sexual and emotional violence against children in the country,” Pele said.
In his address, the Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Mr. Bhanu Pathak, called for increased funding by the government at all levels to end violence against children in the country.
Represented by Mr. Amos Kudzala, the Officer-in-Charge of the field office, Pathak said the launch of the two reports provides first-hand information on the high economic cost of violence against children in Nigeria.
“The launch of these reports today affords us the opportunity to know firsthand what we are putting into child protection as well as its high economic cost.
“The report points out clearly that there is a huge financial loss from cumulative loss earnings due to loss of productivity as a result of sufferings associated with various degrees of violence,” Kudzala said.