The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has identified climate change, insecurity, rapid population growth, urbanisation, economic pressures and changing social realities as major threats to the well-being and future of children in Nigeria.
The Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, stated this during a consultation on the development of the Federal Government of Nigeria/UNICEF Country Programme Document (CPD) 2028–2032 held in Kano.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states to identify priority areas that will guide UNICEF’s next five-year programme in the Northwest region.
Ur-Rehman called for a multisectoral approach involving governments and development partners to address challenges facing children, stressing the need for coordinated interventions in education, health, nutrition, child protection, social protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, climate resilience and governance.
He said the new Country Programme is being developed at a time when children are facing increasingly complex challenges, adding that the consultation would ensure the programme reflects state priorities and community needs.
Ur-Rehman commended the three states for their continued partnership with UNICEF and commitment to improving the lives of children.
Also speaking, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget, Abdulmumini Ladan Ajumawa, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to sustaining its partnership with UNICEF.
Ajumawa said the consultation would help review past achievements, identify lessons and develop sustainable solutions to challenges such as child malnutrition, learning poverty, poor healthcare access, inadequate water and sanitation services, child protection concerns and socio-economic inequalities.
Khadijah Aliyu
