HDI - Child Rights Education Centre (CREC)

HDI-CREC is a multidisciplinary Centre with a national focus for child rights education, promotion of researches on child rights issues and child rights based development. This is actuated by the need to fill the knowledge gap in the areas of child rights and child protection issues and build capacity therein.

HDI-CREC provides training to all stakeholders on the rights of the Nigerian child and takes into consideration, cultural colorations, which lead to misinformation on child rights issues.

Objectives
The objectives of HDI-CREC are:

• To promote the education, research, understanding and recognition of child rights that would encourage the implementation of internationally recognised child rights
• To provide relevant information, training / counseling to stakeholders on child rights issues.
• To provide relevant fora for the broad-based discussion of wide-range of child rights issues.
• To collaborate with inter-governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, relevant research institutes and governmental agencies for the purpose of promoting and protecting child rights.

Thematic Areas
The areas of focus of HDI-CREC include:

1. Discourses on the relevant legislations on the rights of children: UNCRC, ACR&WC, The Child Rights Act, 2003 etc.
2. The rights of children in especially difficult circumstances: OVCs, refugee children and children living in conflict situations, HIV/AIDS and children etc.
3. Juvenile justice system and detention
4. The rights of the child to development and education
5. The participation rights of children
6. The rights of the child to life, health and health care (including mental health care)
7. The rights and responsibilities of children in relation to their family
8. The exploitation of children and issues of child trafficking, labour and abuse
9. Child rights advocacy

The thematic areas are continuously reviewed / updated to include the most up-to-date issues related to child rights. This guarantees the currency of information provided whilst past course participants are availed the benefits of acquiring refreshing contemporary insights on issues previously dealt with.

Focal Groups

1. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with child-rights focus
2. Child-rights advocates
3. School administrators (in crèches, nursery / primary and secondary schools)
4. Governmental agencies (Ministries of Women Affairs; Youth, Sports & Social Development; Education; Health; Justice; Information and National Orientation, CRIB etc.)
5. The Academia
6. Guidance Counselors
7. Medical and health personnel
8. Judges, magistrates, lawyers and prosecutors
9. Children, teachers, parents and care givers
10. Members of the States House of Assembly/National Assembly
11. Law enforcement agencies (Nigerian Police; National Directorate of Drug & Law Enforcement Agencies-NDLEA; National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons & Other Related Matters (NAPTIP); Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service etc.

Faculty
HDI-CREC prides itself in its ability to harness the best professionals in child care, child rights education and advocacy as Faculty members. Our faculty members are drawn from the academia and comprises of distinguished professionals in various facets of child rights phenomenon.

Child care experts/professionals drawn from international/multilateral organisations are invited to provide information on global child rights issues and trends

Training Methodology
HDI-CREC’s seminars provide a shift from theoretical models and place emphasis on child rights issues in the practical world. The lecture/seminar sessions involve case studies, team exercises anchored on actual practical experiences, simulated problem solving exercises, participants’ roundtable, syndicate discussions, documentaries on child rights issues

Location & Facilities
HDI-CREC is located in a serene environment at 2 Iwaya Road, Onike, Yaba, Lagos. It is about 2 minutes drive from the second gate of the University of Lagos. The Centre is replete with two well-equipped training rooms, a modern library and resource centre which has collections of literature on child rights and children generally; as well as a standby generator.