The United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF), says 69.2% of children in Kano State are multi-dimensionally poor.
A Social Policy Specialist with the UNICEF, Kano Field Office, Fatima Musa, disclosed this yesterday, in her presentation during a media dialogue in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The media dialogue is on: ‘Children’s Advocacy Priorities for News and Programme Managers from Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states’.
Musa explained that 69.2% of children aged 0-17 years old were defined as multi-dimensionally poor, while 59.5% of children of 0-17 years were monetarily poor in Kano.
The communication specialist further said: “Across the geo-political zones, the child MPI shows higher poverty in the North-East and North-West regions (where 90% of children are poor) and lower poverty in the South-East and South-West regions (74% and 65.1% respectively). The incidence of child MPI is above 50% in all States and greater than 95% in Bayelsa, Gombe, Sokoto, and Kebbi States”.
“UN Convention on the right of Children (UNCRC) provides for a child: person under the age of 18; primary role of parents and family in the care and protection with state’s obligation to help them to carry out their duties”, she noted.
The social policy specialist, who raised the alarm over the increased child poverty in Nigeria, called on governments at all levels to increase budgetary allocation for children-focused interventions. According to her, the menace can be reduced by providing quality education, water, good healthcare services, access to good shelter, child protection, and social safety nets.
She also lauded Katsina and Kano states for accepting Universal Child Benefits and for expressing interest in piloting it. According to the specialist, the development came at the right time, as it’s aimed at addressing child poverty.
