How one organisation is changing children’s lives through CSR engagements

Leading the not-for-profit organisation, CSR Children, to fight for children’s equality and right rights towards the economic growth of Nigeria, is Toyin Olakanpo, who says her organisation engages the business sector and CEOs to see children as priority, “right up there with infrastructure and power,” because “it is so critical for the economic growth of our country.”

To underscore the importance of children to national economy, most especially Nigeria’s, the organisation, officially known as the Foundation for CSR & Children’s Rights (CSR Children), based in the United Kingdom and operational in Nigeria, on October 8, last year, held a high level business leaders breakfast forum in which the theme “The Girl Dividend in Nigeria: Why Should CEOs Care?” was extensively discussed.

The event was the second annual CEO Forum on children’s rights and business principles.

At the event, which drew together key figures in the international community of CSR, Sustainability & Human Rights; Nigerian business leaders from various industry sectors; representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria and seasoned academics and researchers in the field of Children’s Rights/Human Rights & Business,   focused on the “economic necessity of investing in the girl child for the transformation of Africa.”

Olakanpo, who expressed the frustration that a lot of people erroneously think of child rights means protecting children against child abuse or child labour alone, in an interview with CSR last week, suggested that leaders – business and political – took a more serious look at the Nigerian children and what investing in their rights means for the nation’s economic and social developments.

According to her, “when you understand that over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s population are children 17 years and under and that we will face severe economic growth challenges if we fail to invest in the development of half of our population then you will sit up and start to look at the word ‘children’ more seriously.”

It will be recalled that Nigerian government, in 2003, adopted the Child Rights Act to domesticate the Convention on the Rights of the child, to protect children, who the UNCEF said are in constant “conflict with the law” due to poverty, social inequality, failed educational system, family problems, peer pressure, social and religious conflicts in which children are used as the foot soldiers.

Lately, the abduction of the Chibok girls, Olakanpo said, has pushed her organisation to launch its “Girl Education Project” which involves the production of a movie short with an award winning UK film director.

“We hope that the film will be widely distributed across Nigeria and the world and work to change cultural attitudes towards the girl child especially amongst boys and men,” she said.

While there is an ongoing debate on the number of states in Nigeria that have passed the Act, one thing that is consistent is that intense advocacy is ongoing that Nigerian children’s future are protected. And thankfully, as observed by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), there is an increased participation of children in the media, as their opinion at the public domain is now sought and publicised to give them some measure of participation and responsibility.

However, there is still a lot more to be done in showcasing the children and protecting their future.  

This is where Olakanpo’s organisation comes in. Her organisation – a campaigning and advocacy one, she said, “is committed to engaging businesses in Nigeria (and Africa generally) to support and promote Children’s Rights through committed CSR initiatives.”

To get the job done, her organisation is recruiting “100 CEOs in Nigeria who will make a serious commitment to devote a part of their CSR targets” to one of the six focus areas, or more, through the “100 CEOs Initiative.”

Olakanpo said her organisation has identified six focus areas that these corporate organisations can participate in and they include: basic education, sports education, computer and science education, mentoring and youth empowerment, vocational training and access to play and leisure.

Responding to the view that there’s a little corporations can do regarding education if the government isn’t doing much in this sector, Olakanpo said “it is not true that the private sector can only do a little when it comes supporting the education of children and youths. Education means so much than reading and writing. And this is what we emphasise in our 100 CEOs initiative.”

According to her, “you can see that within these focus areas the private sector can do a lot if they work with the right implementation partners like my organization - CSR Children. For example we are currently working with a company who will be supporting the development of children in the nursery classes in public government schools by donating over 800 crayon art packs.

“This is invaluable support especially when the schools are devoid of these materials. But the child right to play and leisure activities is a fundamental right, as is their right to art, creative expression and cultural experiences.

“Children from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds do not have TV to watch or computer games; nor do they have the access to play outside or a playground. So just looking at this one advocacy area that we concentrate on – the child’s right to play, there are a number of ways corporations can support the educational development of the Nigerian child.”

She hopes that in the next few years, more Nigerian corporate organisation would team up with her foundation to give children the much needed help they seek.

In the meantime, the organisation’s annual CEO Forum and its new 100 CEOs initiative, has given it “a very full agenda to pursue for the Nigerian child.”