The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that about four million children in Kano State are suffering from multidimensional poverty, lacking access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and proper nutrition.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, disclosed this on Tuesday during a Media Dialogue on Child-Sensitive Budgeting and Planning held in Kano.
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He explained that over three million children live in monetary poverty, with families struggling to meet basic needs. The data presented also showed that 2.9 million children are not fully immunized, exposing them to preventable diseases, while an estimated 143,000 children under the age of five die each year before reaching their fifth birthday.
In the education sector, 2.3 million children of primary and junior secondary school age are currently out of school. Nutritionally, 4.7 million children aged between 6 and 23 months do not receive a minimum acceptable diet, hindering their healthy growth and development.
UNICEF is advocating for child-sensitive budgeting that prioritizes the well-being, development, and protection of every child. The organization called for increased and protected allocations to high-impact child survival and development programs, along with transparency and regular reporting on how funds are used.
Among its key recommendations, UNICEF urged the integration of child-sensitive budgeting guidelines into core budget circulars and the development of systems to tag and track child-related expenditures. It also emphasized the need to prioritize evidence-based, cost-effective interventions and to enhance collaboration across sectors to improve service delivery.
UNICEF stressed that investing in children is vital for breaking cycles of poverty, building community resilience, and ensuring lasting peace and prosperity. Children, it noted, are the architects of Kano’s future, and what is invested in them today will shape the state’s destiny.
