By Ovat Abeng
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has declared that inclusion must serve as the moral foundation for national development, emphasizing that every child deserves the dignity of belonging in society.
Delivering President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s speech at the 2026 National Children’s Day Celebration at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, on Wednesday, the Governor stated that social development should always remain at the center of national growth, stressing that a child’s development is completely inseparable from the home environment.
Governor Soludo noted that his administration is listening more attentively to the voices and opinions of young people and reaffirmed the present administration’s commitment to building a governance structure that actively includes children, as they are instrumental in shaping both their own lives and the destiny of the entire nation.
Echoing the Governor’s vision earlier, the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Esther Onyekesi, welcomed attendees to the event, which was held under the theme, “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child.”
The Commissioner expressed gratitude to the Governor’s wife for her contributions toward child welfare through the Ministry and the Nonye Soludo Healthy Living Initiative, described this year’s theme as a timely call for collective action to ensure every child thrives regardless of gender, disability, or social status, and highlighted that the state government, through her ministry, is intensifying advocacy against child abuse, human trafficking, child labour, street hawking by minors, and violence against children.
The wife of the Governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, and his wife accompanied the Governor to the event, which featured cake-cutting and a march-past by an array of schools across the state, among other activities.
