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  • Uzodimma, UNICEF, WHO urge mothers not to abandon breastfeeding babies

    Uzodimma, UNICEF, WHO urge mothers not to abandon breastfeeding babies

    The wife of Imo State Governor, Dr.(Mrs.) Chioma Uzodimma, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), has launched a campaign to encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies.

     The campaign which ran from August 1st to 7th, 2025, was marked with radio talk shows, a road walk, and the distribution of educational materials across the state.

     Mrs. Uzodimma noted that the campaign was aimed to promote the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of infants. According to the Imo First Lady breastfeeding is crucial for a child’s development and provides essential nutrients and antibodies that help protect against diseases.

     “Breastfeeding is not just beneficial for the baby, but also for the mother,” Uzodimma said, adding that “it helps in bonding between the mother and child, and also has health benefits for the mother. We urge all mothers to take advantage of this natural and cost-effective way to nourish their babies.”

     The theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,’ underscores the need for collective action to support breastfeeding mothers and create an enabling environment for them to breastfeed with ease.

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     Mrs. Uzodimma also urged stakeholders to work together to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding, saying, “Creating sustainable support systems requires collective action. Let us stand together to prioritize breastfeeding and create a sustainable environment that allows mothers to breastfeed with ease.”

     Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha Ogwe, Communication Specialist at UNICEF Enugu Field Office,  emphasized the need for sustainable support systems to promote breastfeeding in Nigeria.

    According to Dr. Ogwe, “Breastfeeding is a cornerstone of child survival, growth, and healthy development.”

    However, she noted that many Nigerian babies are not benefiting from optimal breastfeeding practices, with only 1 in 3 babies given breastmilk in the first hour after birth and only 1 in 3 babies exclusively breastfed for up to six months.

     Ogwe highlighted the importance of early initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, and sustained breastfeeding, saying, “Mothers need sustainable support systems to successfully breastfeed, at home, work, and in the community.” She called on health workers to provide counselling, peer encouragement, and consistent health advice to mothers and household members.

    The UNICEF Communication Specialist also urged governments and employers to invest in coordinated support for breastfeeding, including paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and workplace facilities. “Policymakers must put in place key practices and outcomes to strengthen breastfeeding,” she said. “Monitor and enforce the implementation of policies that protect breastfeeding, such as the code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes.”

     Ogwe emphasized the benefits of breastfeeding, including its role in reducing healthcare costs, boosting cognitive development, and strengthening economies. She also highlighted the environmental benefits of breastfeeding, saying, “Breastmilk is a natural, renewable source of food that is produced and delivered without generating pollution, plastic waste, or environmental harm.”

     In his opening remarks, Director General of Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA), Francis Nwubani, stressed the crucial role of the media in disseminating information about breastfeeding. “You play a key role in this agenda of informing the public about breastfeeding,” Nwubani said. “As we deliberate on this media dialogue, may God grant all of us the strength to pass the good messages of breastfeeding to the public and inform people about their role in creating supportive and sustainable environments for breastfeeding.”

    In a joint online statement, WHO Director-General,  Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, echoed Mrs Uzodimma’s sentiments, highlighting the significance of breastfeeding in reducing infant mortality rates and promoting healthy growth and development.

    “Investing in breastfeeding is an investment in the future, yet only 48 per cent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed – well below the World Health Assembly target of 60 per cent by 2030. This is due to the overlapping challenges for new mothers, health workers, and health systems.

    “Millions of mothers around the world do not receive timely and skilled support in a healthcare setting, when they need it most.

    “Only a fifth of countries include infant and young child feeding training for the doctors and nurses who care for new mothers. This means the majority of the world’s mothers leave hospitals without proper guidance on how to breastfeed their babies and when to introduce complementary feeding.

    “In many countries, health systems are too often under-resourced, fragmented, or poorly equipped to deliver quality, consistent, evidence-based breastfeeding support.

    “Investment in breastfeeding support remains critically low even though every dollar invested generates US$35 in economic returns.”

  • UNICEF hails 10 Nigerian states for extending maternity leave to six months

    UNICEF hails 10 Nigerian states for extending maternity leave to six months

    …laments decline in early breastfeeding initiation 

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended 10 Nigerian states for taking a bold step in supporting maternal and child health by extending maternity leave to six months for mothers in public service.

    The recognition was made by Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer at the Enugu Zonal Office, during a two-day virtual Multi Zonal Media Dialogue on the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week. 

    The event, themed “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,” was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia (BCA).

    Chiluwe noted that the states—Lagos, Kwara, Ekiti, Oyo, Cross River, Kaduna, Niger, Ondo, Enugu, and Plateau—have demonstrated leadership in promoting exclusive breastfeeding by implementing extended maternity leave policies.

    She revealed that over 90% of Nigerian mothers are already breastfeeding their babies, and encouraged the media to help eliminate harmful myths about breastfeeding while advocating for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life.

    Chiluwe emphasised that breastfeeding is more than just nourishment—it builds immunity, strengthens mother-child bonding, and plays a critical role in reducing malnutrition and disease in children.

    She also called for a united front among stakeholders—governments, families, media, religious leaders, and civil society—to create supportive environments for mothers, both at home and in the workplace, to breastfeed successfully.

    Also speaking, a Social Behaviour Change Specialist at UNICEF, Dr. Hillary Ozoh, stresed the media’s role in advocating for child survival and development through strategic messaging. 

    He urged media outlets to foster broader discussions, engage with stakeholders, and elevate the topic of breastfeeding to national prominence, akin to the attention given to sports. 

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    Dr. Ozoh encouraged the media to develop content that supports exclusive breastfeeding initiatives and to make these public discussions a priority in their advocacy efforts.

    On her part, Dr Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, Communication Officer, UNICEF Enugu, said the objective of the programme was to ensure a robust media engagement where media remains strong allies to herald the theme, give support and create the needed awareness.

    She noted that the meeting was also aimed at ensuring the provision of factual information about the World Breastfeeding Week’s approach for the year.

    She recounted that Nigerian women had made remarkable progress in breastfeeding while there were other areas that needed to be addressed to support and promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months before introducing supplements.

    Onuogha-Ogwe indicated that a survey by the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed that rates of early breastfeeding initiation had declined from 42% in 2018 to 36% in 2023.

    In a presentation, she said that exclusive breastfeeding rates remained stagnant at 29% in 2018 and 2023, according to NDHS.

    In his remarks, the Director General, BCA Umuahia, Mr. Francis Nwubani, said that it’s time to recognise breastfeeding as a powerful foundation for lifelong health, development, and equity.

    He noted, “World Breastfeeding Week shines a particular spotlight on the ongoing support women and babies need from the healthcare system through their breastfeeding journey.

    “This means ensuring every mother has access to the support and information she needs to breastfeed as long as she wishes to do so.”

    He, however, said that breastfeeding could be challenging when parents are not fully supported.

  • Cholera cases persist in Niger as UNICEF delivers lifesaving supplies

    Cholera cases persist in Niger as UNICEF delivers lifesaving supplies

    Despite ongoing efforts to curb cholera, Niger State is still battling new cases, with 27 patients currently on admission across four local government areas.

    This came as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered another round of cholera response supplies to the state to help break the transmission chain.

    The supplies, which are basic water and sanitation kits, include drugs, cholera treatment kits, water purification tablets, and community hygiene materials, were officially handed over to the Niger State Ministry of Health in Minna on Thursday.

    UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist at the Kaduna Field office, Teresa Fama, who led the team, said the intervention is crucial as the state continues to record fresh cases.

    She confirmed that at least seven patients are currently on admission at one of the treatment facilities, with four already confirmed positive for cholera.

    “We are here to support Niger State with essential drugs and sanitation kits to break the transmission of cholera. Our supplies include community kits, water purification tablets, glucose drips, and 350 cartons of cholera kits. We are also expecting 10 drums of chlorine to further support water treatment.

    “The cholera support kits help community people provide to get safe water. It will help them treat their water so that they drink water that is free from microorganisms. And then we also have water treatment purification tablets”, she said.

    Fama warned that the state’s 46 per cent open defecation rate and the consumption of unsafe water remain the major drivers of cholera.

    “Cholera happens when human excreta contaminates drinking water or food. People are still drinking from unprotected wells and rivers, and water vendors sell water from unknown sources,” she said.

    Highlighting the risks, Fama noted that 91 per cent of water sources in the state were found to be contaminated with E. coli in a 2021 survey, making the population vulnerable, and urging residents to prioritise household toilets, handwashing, and water treatment to reduce the spread of the disease.

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    “My call to the public is that if every household in Niger State can have a toilet, cholera will not come. Because all the excreta will go into the toilet, and it won’t contaminate water sources. We call on the government to ensure every household is provided with toilets. If this is done, it will go a long way in reducing the spread of cholera.”

    Deputy State Disease Surveillance Officer, Uriah Mahmudu, confirmed the distribution of the items, assuring that the supplies would be judiciously used.

    Giving a breakdown of the current admissions, he said that 10 patients are on admission at General Hospital Kuta, eight in Wushishi, seven in Boso and Chanchaga, and two in Kabula, Munya local government.

    “We ensure that patients receive treatment and go home with hygiene packages. Communities with suspected or confirmed cases are also given the items to prevent further spread,” he said.

  • UNICEF, UNESCO, others back Enugu smart school initiative

    UNICEF, UNESCO, others back Enugu smart school initiative

    • From Janefrances Chibuzor

    Enugu State Commissioner for Education Prof. Ndubueze Mbah has disclosed that the state’s Smart Green School initiative is attracting impressive support from international development agencies, donor organisations, and Nigerian diaspora communities. He stated that the programme is widely supported and locally embraced in the state.

    Mbah, who spoke recently in Lagos, said that the Enugu Smart Green Schools are not merely physical structures but hubs of integrated learning, community empowerment, and sustainable development.

    “We are supported by prestigious grants and leading education sector partner. UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission, and numerous international foundations are all backing this effort. Our people in the diaspora are also lending their support. It’s not just a government project—it’s a movement.”

    The initiative, introduced under the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, has taken root across all 260 political wards in the state, transforming the educational and social landscape of rural and urban communities alike.

    The commissioner who is a Professor of History at the State University of New York, Buffalo, noted that virtually every ward in Enugu now has a Smart Green School, with only a few exceptions in single-village wards still under review.

    He described the public reception as overwhelming, adding that communities have embraced the schools as a generational opportunity for transformation.

    “People see this as the most important project of their lifetime,” he stated, adding: “Everywhere a Smart School is built, life changes. The community changes. Hope returns.”

    Each Smart Green School is designed to accommodate between 840 and 1,000 pupils and is operated by a cohort of 40 to 50 specially trained Smart Teachers.

    Unlike traditional public schools, these institutions are designed to be fully self-sustaining.

    The schools are solar-powered, internet-enabled, and supported by an eco-friendly infrastructure that includes water systems, modern sanitary facilities, agricultural plots, and digital teaching tools.

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    A standout feature of the Smart Schools is the comprehensive welfare model it offers. Every school includes on-site residential apartments for teachers, creating a built-in incentive for high-calibre professionals to work in remote communities.

    In addition, every Smart School has a functional health clinic staffed with two registered nurses, ensuring that pupils and staff have immediate access to basic healthcare.

    According to him, the schools also integrate a farm-to-table model as part of both the learning experience and the school feeding programme.

    “Every one of these schools has a farm, and the children are fed daily from the produce of that farm, subsidised by the state government,” Mbah explained.

    He added: “That means nearly 1,000 children in each school eat lunch every day. It’s not just about nutrition; it’s part of the education. They learn agriculture, sustainability, and responsibility.”

  • 3.5m children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria, says UNICEF

    3.5m children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria, says UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said 3.5 million children in Nigeria are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

    UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Field Operations and Emergencies, Judith Leveille, provided the figure yesterday in Abuja at a joint media briefing by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction on the European Union’s support for victims of the Yelwata crisis in Benue State, as well as the nutrition emergency in the Northeast and Northwest.

    The situation, according to her, is dire and requires urgent action.

    The UNICEF chief noted that 400,000 children risk preventable deaths in one month and eight days.

    She said: Today, we are gathered because we have a common understanding. More can be done to ensure that all severely acute malnourished children, and we are talking -about a burden of 3.5 million children in Nigeria. The situation is dire, and more needs to be done.

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    “What we saw is that nutritional stabilisation centres are already overstretched, and we still haven’t reached the peak of the lean season. We will reach that in about three weeks, and the peak season will last over a month. What we saw in some communities in Sokoto is not unique.

    “It can also be seen in many other states, particularly in the northern parts of Nigeria. So, we need to call on all forces to prevent a stockout of essential nutrition commodities used to treat severe acute malnutrition. As we speak, we can expect a stockout by September 1.

    “So, we have one month and eight days to avoid the preventable deaths of over 400,000 children. That’s a lot of children”.

    Leveille emphasised the need for funding, skilled personnel, and essential medicines.

    The Nigeria INGO Forum Director, Camilla Higgins, reiterated that an estimated 3.5 million children were suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the country.

    She said: “The figure is the equivalent of the national stadium in Abuja times 60. You would have to fill it 60 times to capture that number of children, and they are all at risk of increased death. This demands urgent and coordinated action by the government, and we are very ready to support such an effort in coordination with international actors like UNICEF and our member organisations.”

  • Sokoto govt, UNICEF train MDAs on strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation

    Sokoto govt, UNICEF train MDAs on strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation

    In a bid to foster responsive collaboration and improve service delivery for citizens, the Sokoto State Government, in partnership with UNICEF, has organised a two-day capacity-building workshop for officials of its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

    The initiative, facilitated through the State Ministry for Budget and Economic Planning, was held at Azbir Hotel, Birnin Kebbi, with key state government officials, UNICEF representatives from Abuja, and Mr. Michael Juma, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Sokoto, in attendance.

    Declaring the workshop open, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed Zayyana, emphasised the critical role of planning in driving policy success.

    He noted that strengthening institutional capacity is essential for developing the state’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), State Development Plan (SDP), and the 2026 budget proposal.

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    “This initiative is aimed at equipping our planning officers to deliver better results for citizens. We appreciate UNICEF for its continued support in advancing our development agenda,” Dr. Zayyana said.

    Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Ahmad Ladan Ala, highlighted the crucial role of line officers in data collection and harmonisation.

    He stressed the importance of providing them with the tools and training needed to present accurate data to policymakers for better governance outcomes.

    UNICEF’s Chief of Monitoring and Evaluation in Abuja, Mr. Wayne Bacale, outlined the workshop’s objectives and urged participants to fully engage, exchange ideas, and bring their expertise to bear.

    He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Sokoto State’s efforts to improve the well-being of its people.

    In their separate remarks, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi, a director in the state service, and Comrade Bello Gwadabawa, a civil society representative, commended the workshop as a timely and impactful intervention.

    They lauded the partnership with UNICEF as a valuable step toward boosting productivity and accountability in public service.

  • “Eleme oxygen plant has saved many lives in Rivers” – UNICEF, IHS

    “Eleme oxygen plant has saved many lives in Rivers” – UNICEF, IHS

    The United Nations Child Education Fund (UNICEF) and IHS Nigeria have expressed satisfaction in the medical Oxygen plant at Eleme, Rivers State, saying that it has bridged oxygen need gap in the State and has saved many lives.

    The observation was made during a joint inspection tour of the facility by the partner organizations yesterday.

    The project located in the premises of Eleme General Hospital, Ebubu, was built under a Public Private Hospital between UNICEF, the Canadian Government, IHS and the Rivers State Ministry of Health through the state Hospital Management Board.

    Spesking shortly after the tour of the facility, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Port Harcourt, Dr. Anslem Audu disclosed that the decision to undertake the pilot project in the State was borne out of the difficulties experienced by sick persons in the State, particularly children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    ‘The era of lack of oxygen is no longer there. You can practically visit any of the hospital in Port Harcourt and find out that they have oxygen and the product is from this plant all thanks to IHS, the Canadian Government and UNICEF. The partnership within this three organizations and the Ministry of Health in Rivers State has really worked and we are reaping the benefits of the partnership.

    “During the COVID era a lot of patients needed oxygen and oxygen was not available. So many children will come down with pneumonia and it will become an emergency, they will need oxygen, they are in a hospital that oxygen is not available. But with this plant now available no child will die as a result of lack of oxygen in the hospital,” Audu stated, and called on neighbouring states to take advantage of the oxygen availability. Rivers State to solve their oxygen problem.

    Furthermore, Audu noted the need for the State government to ensure constant supply of power to the facility yo ensure uninterrupted operation and for cost reduction.

    “The partners have done a lot and we expect that the government should also invest by providing source of electricity for the plant to be much more functional.

    “I heard them complaint that the cost of production is high and it is because of running diesel 24 hours to ensure that they produce enough for the state. I’m not really comfortable that the partner, IHS should come and connect the plant to the national grid, this is what I expect our government to do.” he added.

    Also, the Director, Sustainability IHS Nigeria, Titilope Oguntuga, said the essence of the partnership is to help bridge the health gap in Rivers State. “It’s one of our commitments as an organization, not to only create opportunities for impact, but to also continue to support beneficiaries by monitoring many of our interventions.

    “IHS Nigeria is a Telecoms Infrastructure company, it started in Nigeria in 2001 and we have over 16,000 sites across Nigeria. In terms of sustainability we focus our intervention sustainability on four pillars – ethics and governance, education and economic growth, environment and climate change and finally, people and communities.

    “As an organization with 16,000 towers plus across Nigeria we believe that we are very close to our communities and so the visit to the Port Harcourt oxygen plant today is to have an assessment on how well the plant is functioning, the impact it is currently making and to generally understand how the operations is going.

    “This plant is one of the nine oxygen plants that we have built across the federation and we are particularly excited that it is helping to bridge the health gap and not just in Rivers State and environs but in all the states where the plants are currently built. We have quite other health initiatives but one of the things we are committed to as an organization is to continue to support our people and our communities.”

    Earlier, the Medical Director Eleme General Hospital, Dr. Claribelle Leechi-Okere, reported to the partners that the plant since its was commissioned last year has been functioning optimally and been supplying medical oxygen to the two teaching hospitals as well as other public and privates hospitals in the state.

    According to her, the hospital has established two distribution hubs within the Port Harcourt metropolis for easy access. “We’ve had success stories whereby oxygen is distributed to public hospitals in the state, including the two teaching hospitals in the state and then we have also extended distribution to some private hospitals within the state.

    “We have two hubs where we store the oxygen – because of the location of the plant. We produce here and store somewhere in Port Harcourt so that people who because of the distance, can get oxygen from those hubs. So we have those hubs that serve as our storage and distribution sites. One is in Kelsey Harrison Hospital in Diobu and the other one at Rumuokwuta,” she said.

    She however lamented the cost of production and transportation, which she said was contributing to high cost of oxygen. “The major challenges are the high cost of production because the oxygen plant run solely on diesel generator. So the cost of diesel to run the plant is quite expensive. “We are not connected to the national grid so we don’t have any alternative source of power. Another challenge is the cost of distribution to those hubs is also increasing the cost of the oxygen.” she stated

    The medical director called on the state government to build a solar power plant and as well connect the plant to the national grid in order to reduce the cost of production.

    Ends///

  • Cancer: UNICEF commences vaccination of adolescent girls in 5 Osun LGAs

    Cancer: UNICEF commences vaccination of adolescent girls in 5 Osun LGAs

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commenced vaccination of 9-year-old girls against the Human Papillomavirus to tackle cervical cancer.

    The agency, during a two-day stakeholders’ seminar held in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, lamented the uncooperative disposition of of parents and guidance to allow their adolescent girls to take the vaccine.

    The UNICEF Adolescent Development Specialist, Ngozi Sangu said: “We realised that the HPV vaccine in some LGs has a low performance. The data shows that we do not have a good response in terms of the optic for 9-year-old girls. Hence, this meeting is to again re-sensitize the stakeholders in Osun State, ensuring that the momentum doesn’t drop.

    “We are talking about regionalisation, there needs to be some kind of increased efforts, we need to change the methodology in which we target them. We need parents to be able to give consent and we need to be able to target how we reach them differently.”

     He noted that the agency in partnership with Osun State Government has vaccinated over 29,000 adolescent girls in the state.

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     Also, the Osun State Immunisation Officer, Francisca Olaore said : “We are targeting 3 million of these 9-year-old girls. We implore parents and caregivers to ignore negative rumours around the vaccine in a bid to safeguard the future of the girl child against cervical cancer.”

     Earlier in her remarks, UNICEF young leader on HPV advocacy, Rabiah Busari explained that “In this particular project, we’ll be engaging 5 local governments and recruiting 3 volunteers from each local government, making 15 volunteers that we’ll be working with for the span of 6 months and the local government are Ife North, Ife South, Ede North, Ede South and Osogbo.

     “A Multi-Age Campaign was done in 2024 and we checked the data of all local governments in Osun State and how many people got vaccinated during this Multi-Age Campaign and these 5 local governments were identified for their low turnout of this vaccine.

     “So, we are going back to these communities to vaccinate them so that we can see that more 9-year-old girls are vaccinated, prevented from cervical cancer and HPV.”

  • Cancer: UNICEF begins HPV vaccination for 9-year-old girls in Osun, urges parental support

    Cancer: UNICEF begins HPV vaccination for 9-year-old girls in Osun, urges parental support

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched the vaccination of 9-year-old girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Osun State, as part of efforts to prevent cervical cancer.

    At a two-day stakeholders’ seminar in Osogbo, UNICEF expressed concern over the low acceptance rate of the vaccine among parents and guardians in some local government areas.

    UNICEF Adolescent Development Specialist, Ngozi Sangu, said data shows poor response in several LGAs, prompting the need for renewed sensitisation. “We need to rethink how we reach our parents. Consent is critical, and our outreach methods must evolve to improve vaccine uptake,” Sangu said.

    He disclosed that over 29,000 adolescent girls have so far been vaccinated in partnership with the Osun State Government.

    Also speaking, the Osun State Immunisation Officer, Francisca Olaore, revealed that the overall target is to vaccinate 3 million 9-year-old girls, urging parents to dismiss negative rumours surrounding the vaccine and support efforts to protect the future of the girl child.

    UNICEF Young Leader on HPV advocacy, Rabiah Busari, added that five LGAs—Ifẹ North, Ifẹ South, Ede North, Ede South, and Osogbo—will be directly engaged in the project, with 15 volunteers working over six months to drive awareness and vaccination efforts.

    “A Multi-Age Campaign was done in 2024, and we checked the data of all local governments in Osun State and how many people got vaccinated during this Multi-Age Campaign, and these 5 local governments were identified for their low turnout for this vaccine.

    “So, we are going back to these communities to vaccinate them so that we can see that more 9-year-old girls are vaccinated, prevented from cervical cancer and HPV.”

  • UNICEF decries budgetary provisions for children in Katsina

    UNICEF decries budgetary provisions for children in Katsina

    The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has decried the budgetary provisions for child sensitive lines including education, health, social protection and skills development in katsina State. 

    UNICEF’s Kano field Officer, Rahman Farrah, during a media dialogue on child sensitive budgeting and planning,called for Increased Investment in Children’s Welfare.

    The event was organised by the UNICEF Kano Field Office in collaboration with the Katsina Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and featured participants from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as civil society organisations (CSOs).

    The Chief of the UNICEF Kano Field Office also emphasised the urgent need to prioritise children’s needs in budgetary allocations and government policies. 

    He said ”The time for lip service has passed—it is now time for concrete, well-structured actions and dedicated funding to protect and empower children. 

    “Children are not just heirs to the future—they are the building blocks of that future. Investing in them today means building a stronger, more sustainable Katsina State tomorrow.

    ”’159 out of every 1,000 children die before their fifth birthday. Only 4.1% of children receive complete immunisation,33% of children do not attend primary school,75.5% of children live in extreme poverty,61.2% of children live in financially insecure households’. 

     ”Only 23.4% of children aged 6–23 months consume nutritionally adequate diets”

    ”These figures are not just numbers—they represent a crisis of lost potential, weakened intellect, and denied leadership.”

    The media dialogue also highlighted how child-related needs often disappear within broader departmental budgets, making it difficult to track and assess impact. 

     Farah proposed several recommendations that all MDAs should adopt to clearly outline child-specific programmes and funds in their budgets

    ‘

    He called for targeted interventions for hard-to-reach rural communities, children with special needs, those affected by conflict, and children from economically disadvantaged families.

    The media dialogue also raised serious concern over the declining budgetary allocation to social sectors in the state.