A LEGAL EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES VIS-A-VIS THE VIOLATIONS OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine the existing legal framework for parental responsibility as it relates to the rights of children in Nigeria and how the performance or non-performance of parental responsibilities can affect the rights of children in Nigeria. The various existing national legal framework in this regard such as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Child Rights Act 2003, amongst others were examined to ascertain if they compel parents to carry out their parental duties to their children as to protect children’s rights in Nigeria. The paper identified that there are about 20 Million out of school  children in Nigeria and the population of street children in Nigeria is on the increase. The doctrinal research methodology was adopted and the paper finds that despite the avalanche of laws to protect children, some children in Nigeria do not enjoy these protections because those saddled with the responsibilities of carrying out those duties only do so on a moral bases and not as a requirement of law thereby leaving a slack in the protection of children’s rights in Nigeria. The paper recommends amongst others the enactment of a parental responsibility law  under which parents are obliged as a matter of statute to carry out, observe and enforce the rights of their children.