Bauchi Set to Strengthen Child Protection with New Care Policy

By Bashir HASSAN, Abubakar 

Bauchi Set to Strengthen Child Protection with New Care Policy

By Bashir HASSAN, Abubakar 

Participants at the just-concluded validation meeting on the Federal Government’s Alternative Child Care Policy Guidelines have expressed confidence that Bauchi State will soon domesticate the policy to strengthen child protection.

Speaking at the close of the exercise on Friday, 12 September 2025, the Director of Child Development at the Bauchi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, Ahmad Umar Muhammad, said the session gave stakeholders an opportunity to thoroughly scrutinize the implementation guidelines and adapt them to the state’s context.

> “We went through the document page by page and removed any provisions that could hinder successful implementation in Bauchi,” Muhammad explained. He commended the Child Protection Network (CPN) and representatives of relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for their “painstaking efforts” in reviewing and refining the policy.

Also sharing his optimism, Mr. Kingsley Yalling of the CPN said the domestication of the policy, following validation by both state and non-state actors, would create a comprehensive social protection framework for children across Bauchi.

Similarly, Barrister Margaret Ikoh, a member of the CPN coalition, highlighted that the validated guidelines tackle critical issues such as the incarceration of children in remand homes for minor offences.

She added that the document clearly defines government’s responsibility in providing alternative care and sets out practical steps to ensure that children not only grow, but thrive and reach their full potential.

Other participants who spoke with our correspondent echoed this enthusiasm, stressing that the domesticated policy will significantly improve child welfare and development in Bauchi State.

The review and validation meeting was jointly facilitated by the Bauchi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development and the Child Protection Network (CPN) Bauchi chapter, with support from the Network’s national office.