UNICEF has commended Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states for their significant progress in child welfare but warned that much more needs to be done to address remaining gaps.
Speaking at the launch of the Nigerian Child 2025 report in Kano, the Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, Rahama Rihhood Mohammed Farah, said the three states have made notable improvements in health, nutrition, education, and access to clean water through strong partnerships with state governments.
Farah highlighted the Masaki Initiative in Jigawa, a community-driven campaign against malnutrition which is now being adopted by other states.
He added that Jigawa has also achieved major gains in routine immunization over the past decade.
In Katsina, he noted that the government has committed more than ₦1 billion to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods through its Child Nutrition Match Fund.
Katsina has also become the second state in Nigeria to attain Open Defecation Free status.
Despite these milestones, UNICEF warned that malnutrition rates remain above 50 percent in all three states, while millions of children are still out of school.
Farah therefore called for stronger collaboration and sustained investment to close the existing gaps and improve child well-being across the region.
Usman Mohammed Zaria
