'Violence against children cost Nigeria $15bn in 2018' - World Bank

Violence against children cost Nigeria $15bn in 2018, a new report by the World Bank and the End Violence Partnership/Safe to Learn Global Initiative has shown.

The report was titled, ‘Ending violence in schools: An investment case.’

According to the report, violence in and around schools has had huge impacts on educational outcomes, costing an estimated $11tn in lost lifetime earnings globally.

In Nigeria, it was estimated that one in two children reported being a victim of physical violence before turning 18, with one-fifth reporting emotional violence and one-fourth reporting sexual violence.

“The study for Nigeria estimates that one in two children report being a victim of physical violence before the age of 18, with the proportions being at one fifth for emotional violence and one fourth for sexual violence,” the report stated.

It added, “The economic costs for health outcomes (lost disability-adjusted life years or DALYs94) associated with violence are valued at US$8.9bn (1.6 per cent of GDP), while the cost in lost earnings is valued at US $6.1bn or 1.1 per cent of GDP based on estimates of the marginal effect of violence on secondary school completion and the ensuing loss in earnings. This would yield a total cost of 2.7 per cent of GDP.”

Speaking on the report, World Bank’s Global Director for Education, Jaime Saavedra, said, “All the investments we make in education become irrelevant if children aren’t safe at school.”