ABSTRACT
In Nigeria, children suffer from various forms of abuses, such as child marriage, molestation, child labour, severe physical chastisement, child prostitution, child witchcraft abuse, street trading, and other issues. This research seeks to examine child abuse and its effects on the child in Nigeria. The study was set out to find out the impacts of child abuse on the child in Nigeria, and the legal framework for the protection against child abuse and the legal impediments to its implementation in Nigeria. The study adopted the doctrinal methodology to source for data. It was shown that child abuse has physical, emotional and psychological negative effects on the child. The study also found that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, and the Child Rights Act of 2003 are the major legal regimes against child abuse in Nigeria. The study revealed that there have been some impediments against the eradication of child abuse in Nigeria. These include poverty, poor political will, protests by Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, poor access to education, religious practices, traditional and cultural practices. The research recommends that the adoption and implementation of the Child Rights Act of 2003 should be implemented in all States. The Nigerian government should ensure impartial investigations are launched in order to identify those responsible for grave children’s human rights abuses, and concludes that there is a need to guarantee concrete investments to improve the plight of the average Nigerian child, which are needed as a matter of urgency. Additional measures and programs are needed for most vulnerable groups of children.
