UNICEF Flags Alarming Child Welfare Data in Katsina, Pushes for Increase in Social Sector Budget
Abdulraheem Muhammed
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised urgent concerns over the welfare of children in Katsina State, revealing stark statistics that underscore the need for child-sensitive budgeting.
Speaking during a media dialogue in Katsina, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, presented sobering figures:
75.5% of children in Katsina are multidimensionally poor, lacking access to essential services such as health, education, and nutrition.
61.2% live in monetary poverty, limiting access to basic needs.
33.3% of children are out of school at the primary level.
Only 41% of children are fully immunised, exposing the majority to preventable diseases.
51.3% of under-five children** suffer from stunting due to chronic malnutrition.
Only 23.4% of children aged 6–23 months receive the minimum acceptable diet, hindering growth and brain development.
1 in 6 children dies before their fifth birthday in the state.
These figures were presented against the backdrop of a dramatic drop in Katsina’s social sector budget, which declined from 38.57% in 2016 to 12.98% in 2020, according to UNICEF.
Farah warned that reversing this budget trend is crucial to improving child outcomes, saying, “Investing in children’s health, nutrition, education, and protection is not charity, it’s the most strategic investment Katsina State can make.”
The dialogue, organised by the UNICEF Kano Field Office in collaboration with the Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, aimed to rally support from journalists, civil society organisations, and state ministries for improved child-focused financing.
In response, Dr. Tijjani Umar, Katsina State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, acknowledged that children make up 4.5 million of the state’s estimated 10 million population. He affirmed the government’s commitment to prioritising children in future budgets.
“Our ministry wishes to reaffirm its full commitment to ensuring that child-sensitive financing is projected in the next year’s budget,” Dr. Umar stated.
The UNICEF-led dialogue signals an urgent call for data-backed budgetary action to break the cycle of child poverty in Katsina Stat
