Chief Field Officer of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi, Bhanu Pathak has said Nigeria loses an estimated N1.42 trillion to violence against children yearly.
Pathak, who was represented by the child specialist, Ladi Alabi, stated this Wednesday while speaking at the launch of the report on financial benchmark and economic burden of violence against children in Nigeria for Gombe and Plateau states in Jos.
He said 60 per cent of Nigerian children suffered from violence, physical, emotional or sexual violence and out of the number, 50 per cent suffered from physical violence.
He said: “52 per cent of boys and 50 per cent of girls in Nigeria are physical violence victims prior to 18 years of age. On average, physical violence against children costs Nigeria N1.008 billion, 11 per cent of boys and 25 per cent of girls are victims of sexual violence which cost Nigeria N307 billion and the country also loses N91 billion to emotional violence which has 20 per cent of boys and girls 17 per cent girls.”
Pathak stated that “there is huge financial loss from the cumulative loss of earnings due to loss of productivity, stemming from suffering associated with different degrees of violence against children over time.”
He said the launch of the two reports afforded UNICEF the opportunity to know first-hand, what it is putting into child protection as well as the high economic cost of violence against children in Nigeria.
“As part of a wake-up call, President Muhammadu Buhari on September 2015, declared a national campaign to end violence against children by the year 2030. Impressively, both Plateau and Gombe states responded with state launches in 2016 and 2017 respectively,” Pathak said.
Also speaking, Gombe state Statistician General Muhammad Gidado said: “The issue of ending violence against children is a collective responsibility that all must stand against. The reason for the increase of the problem is because parents in Nigeria are refusing to be parents and do the needful.”
While commending Katsina state government for taking steps towards ensuring the review of (Tsangaya) Almajiri schools, the statistician said violence against children cannot be addressed when children roamed the streets as Almajiri. “Findings have revealed that about 41 per cent of Nigeria’s populations are children, out of which about 50 per cent or six in every 10 suffer one form of violence or another. If we must change this tide, parents sending their children out as Almajiri must be forced to ensure they provide them with accommodation, feeding as well as clothing,” Gidado said.
N580bn loss
Meanwhile, the International Non-Government Organisation (NGO), OXFAM has said Nigeria loses a whooping N580 billion yearly to tax incentives granted to corporations.
OXFAM Nigeria Country Director Constant Tchona said this Wednesday at the public presentation of the fair tax monitor index report and the commitment to reducing inequality index report in Abuja.
He asked the federal government to review it policy on tax incentives.
Tchona said studies had shown that the fiscal incentives granted with the hope of stimulating investments in the country were eroded by poor governance and lack of transparency.
He said there was no-cost benefit analysis to justify the exemptions.
In a 2015 report, OXFAM also highlighted the inefficiency of Nigeria’s tax incentives stating that the country was losing billions of naira through tax incentives to multinationals.
The study also showed that Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal had a combined loss of over 5.8 billion dollars every year.
The report further showed that tax incentives were not the priority for investors; rather they looked for infrastructure, education and the quality of the workforce.
Even the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a report revealed that about 30 per cent of companies in Nigeria were involved in tax evasion and 25 per cent of registered companies in the country were not paying tax.
Tchona said in the spirit of fair taxation, the process for granting tax incentives should include mandatory parliamentary oversight, clear requirements for incentives and periodic review of expected results.
“The National Assembly should enact a law that will criminalise the actions of banks, auditors, accountants and lawyers that facilitates illicit financial flows.
“When such professionals act contrary to existing regulations, they should be held accountable in Nigeria. This can be enforced through strengthened professional association bodies.
“There is also need for the Nigerian government to fast-forward action on the new National Tax Policy and clamp down on corporate crimes.
“New legislation and rules to cope with current realities should be enacted along with introduction to cutting-edge technology,” he said.
Tchona advised the government to make tax laws gender-friendly and more equitable to women as drivers of micro and small businesses in the country.
He also asked the government to consider making Value Added Tax (VAT) more progressive by charging more for luxury goods than service items.
Tchona said this would help reduce wealth inequality in the country.
“VAT exemption for building materials will have a direct positive bearing on middle and poor class segments of the population and make rent cheaper, thereby reducing housing deficit.
“It is also important to increase direct tax net rather than increasing burden of indirect taxes like VAT.
“Establishing a more progressive tax system will make it possible for government to deliver on essential public services like education, health and social protection, among others,” he said.
