DATE: 27th MAY 2022
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 112 CHILDREN
Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD) is a capacity building civil
society organization whose activities covers research, advocacy, training and publicity in all
areas of ICTs. It is geared towards promoting digital inclusion and positioning young people and
women to leverage on information technology for a just society.
Children's day is annually observed in Nigeria on May 27. Statistics has shown that about 42%
of the Nigerian population are children and 1/3 of children aged from 6-14 don't go to schools.
Many children leave schools for different purposes and children's rights are often violated on a
daily basis. More also, 70% of children live below the poverty line. Children are also exposed to
kidnapping, street trading, lack of qualitative education, malnutrition and a host of others.
Due to the above statistics, Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD) with
funding from Action Aid Nigeria organized a memorable children’s day celebration at FCT rural
communities of Kuchibuyi and Guto in Bwari area council of the FCT.
The objectives of the day’s celebration include: To promote and celebrate children's rights, to
reflect the importance of Children's education, to spread awareness for the parents and ask to
give them an environment where they can thrive and to discourage differentiation between a girl
and boy child. The International Children Day which is celebrated every May 27, aims to create
awareness on their rights, issues that affect children, importance of education and help us
appreciate that they are the future of our societies.
To begin the activity, CITAD programme Officer Yesmin Salako introduced the team to the
community and the community leader, explaining the purpose of the day’s celebration and why
the communities were picked. After which she spoke to the children on the importance of
education in their lives and career paths they want to seek in the future, most of the children were
thrilled listening to the words of advice offered to them. After which fun activities began, to
include dancing, playing and running as it was a fun filled event.

CITAD celebrated 2022 children day by planting hundred (100) tree seedlings (mango, orange,
cashew, and guava) were planted together with hundred children in response to climate change
and contribute to increasing Nigeria’s forest cover. The children are engaged in the tree planting
exercise, in order to make them love and protect trees providing an opportunity for community
engagement and empowerment which improves the quality of life in the neighborhood. The
conservation efforts and efforts to reduce climate change should be extended to the younger
generation,
Highlight of the activity include children fun activities like dancing and playing, after which 100
trees were planted in the community by the children together with their community leader and
CITAD team. The activity was successful because all the hundred trees were planted
successfully and children fun fair, dancing competition was all a success and there was increased
protection and love for trees by the children in the community. The leaders of the communities
took the lead in the tree planting exercise, they were happy CITAD visited their community, to
encourage them on their special day, while admonishing them to be conservative. The leaders
also requested the children to love and protect the trees, as it was a great opportunity.
To bring the day to a close, Mubarak Ekute gave closing remarks by appreciating the community
leader and community facilitators as well as the children who made the day colorful with their
participation and co-operation, as it would not have been possible without them. He also advised
the community to see that most of the plants are watered daily for proper growth, as that was the
purpose of planting the trees.
Most of the children were excited to celebrate the day in a different way and also plant trees in
their surrounding by themselves. As a child at Guto community, Saudat said “I feel happy about
the children’s day because it is my day. I am happy to plant a tree by myself because I have
never planted before”
Speaking to another child, Abu Sufyan also said “I am happy because it is children’s day and I &
my friends planted orange and mango trees in my school. I will always water the tree”.

Challenges; Celebrating the Day in two different communities was tedious, as the time was not
enough to cover the second community extensively.