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Different countries set aside a day for her Children’s Day celebration. This is a special day for all children. In Nigeria, the 27^th of May every year has been adopted as the special day in the lives of the children who are ironically the future leaders.

Children’s Day has it origin in Turkey precisely in April 23, 1920 during a world summit convened in that country. While the philosophy underpinning the commemoration was further expounded at another World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925. Indeed the idea of a Universal Children’s Day was actually proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954 but the Children’s Day was first celebrated worldwide in October 1955, under the sponsorship of International Union for Child Welfare in Geneva. It was mainly established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world’s children. Also it was chosen as a day to celebrate childhood.

Different countries celebrate the Children’s Day on different dates. In India, or instance, Children’s Day is celebrated on 14th November every year.

My country, Nigeria, is not an exception in the celebration of Children’s Day on May 27 each year. We are endowed with natural and human resources. We are the giant of Africa. We are the 6^th largest producer of oil in the world. Since independence in 1960, we have been faced with different challenges including bad leadership, bribery and corruption, etc. Today the region where the oil is being tapped is at war with the federal government over neglection. Most of the children do not go to school. No roads. No portable (drinking) water because of oil spillage. Their main occupation which is farming has become a thing of the past as their lands have been taken over by oil pipelines which must not be touched to avoid explosion. It is indeed a pity. Different questions have been asked by watchers of events. Could it be that those in authority do not want the children from the Niger Delta to be educated so that they will not know their rights and fight for it? God forbid. What happened to the monies allocated to their State Governors? Are their leaders blindfolded too? What efforts are the big oil companies in the region making to salvage the people and the environmental pollution? The children, it is believed, will grow up one day to know the truth.

The children’s day is celebrated by both private and public schools. The day is normally declared as a public holiday for all schools in the country. School children conduct various march parades in different stadia. It is usually a jamboree of a sort. Competitions are held by various schools and winners are given awards. It is an opportunity for students to interact with other students from different schools and make new friends. There is also the display of cultural dances which the country is highly blessed with. Government officials are invited to witness the occasions and make speeches.

I remember with nostalgia my youthful days. The irony still remains that only a section of the country’s children actually have an opportunity to celebrate their existence. Schools organize events and activities that their students thoroughly enjoy, but there is an entire populace of young ones out there that are left ignored on this special day – the downtrodden street children, the handicapped etc.

Rather than celebrating the Children’s Day with pomp and pageantry in schools, stadia, clubs and hotels, why not bring a difference into the lives of millions of children who are not privileged. While celebrating being a child, the fortunate ones should be reminded about their good fortune to have all that they are endowed with, while there are others who can barely feed or clothe themselves. Thus, while this day was globally instituted to provide children with basic Rights, maybe one can make a difference to a child’s life by doing something special. Parties and celebrations happen all the time, but how about taking the fortunate children to homes that shelter street children and have them befriend those kids, donating clothes, toys, stationeries, books, etc. Remember with passion the lives of those who parade the streets begging for assistance. How do we provide homes to the homeless who have chosen under the bridges as their places of abode?

My heart also goes to the African children whose poverty-stricken parents have not been able to make a different in their lives. Those who are born with silver and golden spoons should remember those born without spoons. To the whole world, we ask that you touch a child’s live today and every other day.

I will like to conclude with the quote of Barrack Obama that “I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we have struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We have made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have to live up to our bet intentions”.