By The Founder of School In The Street, a non-profit organization committed to educating street-connected children, Olakunle Sanni has been inaugurated as the National Coordinator of the Child Protection Network Nigeria (CPN).
The CPN, a coalition of non-government organizations addressing child rights abuse, is the brainchild of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Sanni and other members of the new National Executive Council were sworn in virtually on Wednesday.
In his acceptance speech, the National Coordinator thanked the CPN members for trusting himself and his team with the mandate, assuring them of their resolve to deliver beyond expectations.
“The task before us is enormous but not insurmountable. We will take advantage of the huge resources around us to build a CPN of our dreams just as we are going to embark on numerous programmes, projects and activities to tackle the various categories of abuse, violence and exploitation children are often faced with,” he said.
“As a National body, we shall revisit and reintroduce the structure introduced by UNICEF at inception though this may come with some changes in line with realities of the present day. The place of state actors and private business organisations in fulfillment of children’s rights to protection cannot be emphasized; therefore we are determined to get all relevant government ministries, department and agencies as well as key business firms to become active part of CPN once again.
“As we begin this 3-year journey of taking CPN to greater heights, I want to reassure you of my team’s commitment to see that we deliver on many of your expectations, even if not all, such that at the end you will have no regret whatsoever for giving to us this important task.”
Other members of the newly inaugurated CPN leadership are Deputy National Coordinator, Beatrice Linus Dung; National Secretary, Olorunfemi Olusegun; Assistant National Secretary, Riskat Omolara Yusuf; National Treasurer, Erinfolami-Daniel Anthonia; National Financial Secretary, Joy Daberechi Onuoha; National Legal Adviser, Salma Ahmad Danbappha; National Public Relations Officer – Michael Gbarale; National Internal Auditor, Victor Dorawa Koreyo.
