How Can Child Safety Be Guaranteed If Nigeria Scores 0% on Parenthood Policies? World Bank Report Sparks Alarm
Nigeria’s zero score on supportive parenthood policies in the 2026 Women, Business and the Law report by the World Bank Group is more than a gender equality setback. It is a child protection warning.
When a country fails to guarantee paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave, job protection for pregnant workers and accessible childcare systems, the immediate burden falls on families. The long term cost falls on children.
The absence of at least 14 weeks paid maternity leave means many mothers are forced to return to work too early or leave their jobs entirely. Without income security, households become financially unstable at a time when infants require consistent care, nutrition and medical attention.
The Child Rights Act 2003 recognises every child’s right to survival, development and parental care. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that children should not be separated from their parents against their best interests and that states must support parents in fulfilling their responsibilities. Parenthood policies are part of that support. When they are missing, the state shifts the risk to families and ultimately to children.
Lack of childcare infrastructure also exposes young children to unsafe, unregulated care arrangements. In low income households, older siblings may be pulled out of school to provide care, compounding vulnerability.
The report’s finding that Nigeria scores 50 out of 100 on legal frameworks but only 21.7 on implementation reveals a deeper safeguarding gap. Laws alone do not protect children. Budgets, enforcement and institutional support do.
Protecting working parents is not only about women’s economic participation. It is about giving children stable, safe beginnings. Without practical support for families, child welfare remains fragile and uneven across the country.
