The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi,SAN, on Tuesday unveiled two vital national instruments aimed at strengthening the administration of justice for children in Nigeria.
The instruments : “the Prosecution Guidelines for handling cases involving children 2024 and the Legal Aid Guidelines for children in conflict / contact with the law and child victims 2024.” were unveiled to drive meaningful future reforms.
Launching the Guidelines, the AGF Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, explained that “the Prosecution Guidelines provide ethical, practical, and child-sensitive standards for prosecutors. They promote discretion, dignity, and the use of non-custodial measures such as diversion, restorative justice, and community-based interventions.
With it,”Prosecutors are urged to address the root causes of offending behaviour and prioritise rehabilitation over retribution, in line with both national and international standards.
He also said “the Legal Aid Guidelines, on the other hand, expand access to justice by ensuring timely and quality legal representation for children in conflict or contact with the law, as well as for child victims.
“They define roles and procedures, promote legal literacy, and support child-sensitive mechanisms for redress. Importantly, they reinforce the need for perpetrators of crimes against children to be held accountable with effective and dissuasive sanctions.”
Fagbemi SAN. said shortly before the two guidelines were launched that the event “signifies a defining moment in our collective journey to protect, empower, and uphold the rights of the most vulnerable among us—our children”
He said the launch of “the Guidelines is both timely and imperative, reaffirming Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to child protection in alignment with global best practices and the Child’s Rights Act, 2003.”
These Guidelines, he stressed “represent a major stride in institutionalizing a justice system that recognizes the distinct circumstances, vulnerabilities, and needs of children—whether in conflict with the law, in contact with the law, or as victims of abuse, exploitation, or other circumstances.”
The Guidelines were developed through a collaborative effort involving the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, UNICEF, and other key partners, these instruments emerged from extensive consultations, expert reviews, and a shared resolve to close critical gaps in the justice delivery framework for children.
“Together, they reinforce Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified in 1991 and domesticated in 2003,” he added.
He noted that while many states of the federation have adopted “the Child’s Rights Law, significant implementation gaps remain—particularly in areas of prosecution and access to legal representation for children.”
According to him, “these new Guidelines directly address those challenges and bridge the gaps in justice administration in the best interest of the child.”
As these Guidelines promote an integrated, cross-sectoral approach that ensures prosecutors, legal aid providers, law enforcement, social workers, and judicial officers act cohesively in the best interests of the child. Collectively, they advance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a reformed, rights-based, compassionate, and effective justice system, he said.
He called on all federal and state actors to immediately adopt and integrate these Guidelines into daily practice to achieve its desire objective to drive meaningful reform.