follow and like on:
By Deji Abdulwahab
A gender-based group, The Memunat Single Mother and Child Initiative, has called on the Federal Government to set aside a National Day for Single Parenting, to help in raising children that will be useful for the country.
Its Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Memunat Idu’Lah, made the call at the 2025 National Conference on Raising Future Leaders, in Abuja.
The theme of the conference was ‘Invisible but not Inconsequential: Shedding Light on the Socio-Cultural, Economic and Legal Realities of Single Parenthood in Nigeria’.
Idu’Lah said that the conference was organised to open the door for more discussions on the silent problems facing single parenthood in Nigeria.
She recalled that in 1984, President Ronald Reagan of United States of America declared March 21st as National Single Parent Day, adding, “till today they mark it. It’s the day that people come out in the society to help single parents.
“Even children, they do fundraising, they get donations.
“I’ve seen a boy of about 14 years, two years ago, giving donations, pamphlets, all those things to single parents. I have an NGO, I know the demands that come from some of these women.
“Some people, very little things, something just under the need for their children, they can’t get.
“So, we speak about this, let people come out and know that we can actually have a National Day for Single Parenting.
“This is because it’s not only men, it’s not only women, it’s both sexes that suffer for this single parenting.”
She urged that Nigeria must come as a country and begin to address the issue.
Idu’Lah added, “Other NGOs, government agencies, let us talk. What can you do to help them?
“It’s time for us to. That’s why I came up with this national workshop. It’s like opening the door for more discussions on this issue.
“To help bring up children that will be useful to the country.”
“Some marriages are very bad. We have seen women die in marriages. We have even seen women killing their husbands.
“They usually say they gave them to the wrong husbands. Instead of you to kill your spouse, why don’t you quietly move out?
“And if it’s an abusive spouse, instead of raising your children under that abusive situation, environment, and they will grow up to become abusive children, please, move out.
“And you can raise children very well.”
Idu’lah said as a retired Director of International Cultural Relations, Ministry of Information and Culture, she had seen what was happening in so many climes such as U.S., Turkey and other civilised countries.
She added, “In Turkey, they have an agency in charge of single parents. And so, I look at it. Why is Nigeria like this? Why are we directing these people out? As a retired person, it’s a way of giving back to society.
“I want to talk about it. I want the story to change.
“Even single girls, if they have a child, instead of throwing the children out or stopping the child, they can even put the children up for adoption. Adoption is an option.
“And then we want people to come in from these discussions so that other NGOs can also pick up the issue in different ways.”
Speaking on her experience as a single mother, Alheri Gotus said she separated from her husband after having two kids due to what she called “maltreatment and marital abuse”
She urged women not to remain and allow themselves to be killed in the name of marriage.
“My advice now to women is that please don’t allow yourself to die in the name of marriage because we have a long way to go.
“Those kids need us. A mother is a mother, and a mother will go extra lengths to see that she takes care of her children.
“And for the people that always say girls are not children, they are making a very wrong mistake that they will regret for the rest of their lives.
“As a mother, if you’re passing through hell in the name of marriage, move out quietly, don’t think twice, take the next move, collect the insult, embrace it, they must insult you whether you like it or not.
“Insult is our second name, seriously, but those kids need us. They need to grow with us, with that mother’s love because mother’s love is different,” she said.
In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said single parents, particularly women, faced diverse challenges ranging from social stigma and economic hardship to legal and emotional struggles.
The minister was represented by Hajiya Aisha Sulaiman, Asst Chief Social Welfare from Child Development Department, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
According to her, the conference, therefore, offers a vital platform for dialogue, research sharing, and the formulation of actionable strategies that can improve the quality of life for single mothers and their children.
She said, “The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs remains committed to advancing the rights and welfare of all women and children, irrespective of background or circumstance.
“Through our various programmes and collaborations, we continue to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment, and inclusive policies that ensure no woman or child is left behind.
“We believe that the outcomes of this conference will contribute meaningfully to national discourse and policymaking, helping to shape interventions that support single parents in their journey towards stability, dignity, and socio-economic independence.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
follow and like on:
