As Nigeria marked Children’s Day on Wednesday, grief and outrage swept across social media, with many citizens demanding urgent government action over the growing wave of child abductions across the country.
The latest outrage followed the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, less than two weeks before the Children’s Day celebration.
Across social media platforms, Nigerians said there was little cause for celebration while children remained in captivity, with many using the occasion to renew calls for the rescue of kidnapped pupils.
Leading the criticism was former Minister of Education and co-founder of Transparency International, Obiageli Ezekwesili, who issued an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, governors and members of the National Assembly.
In the letter shared on X, she urged political leaders to refrain from issuing what she described as “ghost-written platitudes” on Children’s Day.
“Do not dare open your mouths on May 27 to wish Nigerian children a ‘Happy Children’s Day.
“Do not dare stand in front of cameras, surrounded by carefully arranged children in matching uniforms, to perform a tenderness you have never extended to the millions of Nigerian children you have abandoned, betrayed, and condemned to lives of suffering,” she wrote.
Ezekwesili listed several groups of children she said the government would be “dishonouring” through ceremonial greetings, including the Oyo abductees and victims of previous school kidnappings.
“You are wishing ‘Happy Children’s Day’ to at least 1,799 students seized in a dozen of the largest abductions since Chibok, and to the 670 children affected by at least 10 school kidnappings in less than two years – a litany of horror compiled not by your security agencies, but by international human rights organisations doing the work your government refuses to do.
“You are wishing ‘Happy Children’s Day’ to around 19 million Nigerian children – 27 per cent- who do not attend school due to the threat of kidnappings, poverty and cultural factors, one of the highest numbers in the world,” she wrote.
She also criticised the political class for what she described as “hypocritical” greetings directed at children affected by illiteracy, malnutrition, displacement and a struggling healthcare system.
The comments quickly gained traction online as more Nigerians voiced frustration over insecurity.
Broadcaster Oseni Rufai posted on X, “Children’s Day and children are in kidnappers’ den.”
Social media personality Enioluwa Adeoluwa also addressed the abducted children directly.
“Today, Children’s Day is dedicated to the Ogbomoso Children. To the children in the forests. To the children without safety, without protection. To the children who now fear the same classrooms that should have held their dreams.
“Children deserve safety. They deserve care. They deserve love from the country they call home. This can never become our new normal,” he wrote.
Another X user, Nnaemeka, posting as #Nwamininnaemeka, wrote, “You don’t get to celebrate children while abandoning them. Today is Children’s Day, and somewhere in Nigeria, a mother is staring at an empty bed that used to hold her child.”
Similarly, #OurFavOnlineDoc posted, “Today is Children’s Day. The Nigerian government is busy with politics. We must dedicate today’s Children’s Day to these missing little children. Please kindly lend your voice.”
Expressing sympathy to affected families, Dr Dipo Awojide, identified online as #OgbeniDipo, called on the military to intensify operations against kidnappers.
“I urge the Armed Forces to continue wiping out these terrorists from within our communities,” he wrote.
Another Instagram user, #bigvaijokotoye, prayed for the safe return of abducted children.
“Today is Children’s Day in Nigeria… but many children cannot celebrate. Some are in fear. Some are missing home. Some mothers are crying instead of smiling today.
“As we celebrate our children, let us also remember the innocent souls still trapped in kidnappers’ dens across the country. May every missing child return home safely. May every parent find peace again. And may Nigeria become safe for children once more.”
Meanwhile, the National Orientation Agency urged Nigerian children to embrace patriotism, discipline and moral values as the country joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2026 Children’s Day celebration.
In a statement issued by its Deputy Director of Communications and Media, Paul Odenyi, the agency described Nigerian children as the “hope, strength and future of the nation.”
The agency said Children’s Day served as a reminder of the responsibility shared by government, parents, teachers and society in raising responsible citizens.
“The future of our nation depends greatly on the values, education and opportunities we provide for our children today. Every child deserves access to quality education, safety, healthcare, guidance and a conducive environment to grow into responsible citizens,” the statement read.
The agency encouraged children to remain committed to learning, discipline, patriotism and moral excellence as they prepared for future leadership roles.
It also warned young Nigerians against crime, drug abuse, cultism, cybercrime and violence, while encouraging them to embrace integrity, hard work, creativity and national unity.
According to the NOA, promoting civic responsibility and value reorientation among young people remains central to its mandate, adding that it would continue public enlightenment campaigns in schools and communities across the country.
The agency also commended parents, teachers, caregivers and development partners for their efforts in raising children despite prevailing socio-economic challenges.
