The United Nations Children’s Fund, at a lecture of Exercise Camp RINA, in Kaduna, called on cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy to place child protection at the center of their duties during internal security operations. The Fund said safeguarding children is not only a moral responsibility, but also a legal and operational requirement for military personnel.

The lecture was delivered as part of Exercise CAMP RINA, a training program for cadets of Short Service Course 49 Army and Direct Short Service Course 34 airforce. Facilitating the session were Dr. Willy Mamah, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, and Dr. Gerida Birukila, Chief of Field Office. Their presentation focused on the roles and obligations of the military in protecting children during internal security and counter-insurgency missions.

According to UNICEF officials, children bear the brunt of modern conflicts. They highlighted how armed groups recruit minors, how sexual violence and forced displacement rise during crises, and how attacks on schools disrupt learning and futures. Beyond physical harm, they added, children also suffer long-term psychological trauma that can affect entire communities for generations.

The speakers stressed that protecting children directly impacts the success of military operations. When forces uphold child rights, they build public trust, gain community cooperation, and lay the groundwork for sustainable peace in conflict-affected areas. They urged the cadets to familiarize themselves with Nigeria’s Child Rights Act, international humanitarian law, and relevant UN conventions that guide the conduct of armed forces.

In their closing remarks, Dr. Mamah and Dr. Birukila issued a clear directive: military personnel must never recruit or use children in operations under any circumstances. They charged the future officers to lead by example, ensure violations are reported, and see child protection as integral to professionalism, mission effectiveness, and national security.