The Head of Programmes at Plan International Ghana, Eric Ayaba, has called on the government to establish a dedicated budget line for child protection, saying safeguarding children must be treated as a national priority.

Speaking at the National Dialogue on Financing Child Protection on Thursday, September 17, Mr Ayaba said sustained domestic financing was critical to ensuring that children are adequately protected, educated, and prepared to take up leadership roles in the future.

“If we really believe that children are our future, then duty-bearers of today have a responsibility, a non-negotiable responsibility, to ensure that these future leaders are prepared today, are educated today, are protected today, and are able to pick up the leadership mantle in the future,” he said.

Mr Ayaba said inadequate funding for child protection had persisted under successive governments, describing it as a longstanding challenge that continues to undermine efforts to safeguard children.

Mr Ayaba urged the government to adequately resource institutions mandated to protect children, including the Department of Social Welfare, the Department of Children, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.

He said adequate resourcing should go beyond budgetary allocations to include institutional capacity, human resources, and operational support.

Mr Ayaba reaffirmed Plan International Ghana’s commitment to working with partners, including SOS Children’s Villages, to promote the welfare and protection of children now and in the future.