Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
West African Parliamentarians move to stem the tide of growing child protection crises engendered by rising poverty, displacement, and urban migration, which are pushing more children onto the streets.
The ECOWAS Parliament is set to convene a high-level Joint Committee Meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 8 to 12 April 2026, with a sharp focus on safeguarding vulnerable children across the region.
The meeting, themed “Parliamentary Approaches to Safeguarding Children in Street Situations and Addressing Child Exploitation in the ECOWAS Region,” will bring together key parliamentary committees to tackle the systemic risks faced by children living and working on the streets.
Across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), children in street situations remain exposed to exploitation, violence, hazardous labour, and substance abuse, with limited access to protection services.
Despite existing policies, weak implementation, funding gaps, and poor coordination continue to undermine progress.
Lawmakers say the Freetown gathering will go beyond policy talk. It will feature regional briefings, public hearings with civil society actors, and field visits to hotspots such as the Cotton Tree area and rehabilitation centres, offering firsthand insight into the realities these children face.
Sierra Leone’s revised Child Rights Act (2025) is expected to serve as a model for regional learning, as parliamentarians explore how stronger laws and coordinated systems can close persistent protection gaps.
At the end of the five-day session, the Joint Committee is expected to produce actionable recommendations aimed at harmonising laws, strengthening oversight, and ensuring that regional commitments translate into real protection for vulnerable children.
With porous borders and increasing cross-border movement complicating child protection efforts, stakeholders say the urgency for unified legislative action has never been greater.
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