The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has lamented that more than 70 per cent of Katsina State’s 4.5 million children are multidimensionally poor, lacking access to essential services such as health, education, and adequate nutrition.

Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office in Kano, Mr. Rahama Farah, stated this on Monday afternoon during a media dialogue on child-sensitive budgeting and planning in the state.

Farah also mentioned that more than half, or 51.3 per cent, of children under five in the state are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition with long-term consequences on health, learning, and productivity.

Furthermore, he noted that only 41 per cent of children in the state are fully immunised, leaving the majority vulnerable to preventable and life-threatening diseases.

“Katsina State’s population is estimated at 9.64 million, with about 4.5 million of them being children, yet one in six children in Katsina State (159 per 1,000 live births) die before celebrating their fifth birthday — a stark reminder of the urgent need to strengthen child survival interventions.

“Only 41 per cent of children are fully immunised, leaving the majority vulnerable to preventable and life-threatening diseases.

“Three in four children (75.5 per cent) in Katsina are multi-dimensionally poor, lacking access to essential services such as health, education, and adequate nutrition.

“Over six in ten children (61.2 per cent) live in monetary poverty, severely limiting household capacity to meet their basic needs.

“One-third of children (33.3 per cent) are out of school at the primary level, undermining the state’s future human capital and economic growth.

“Only 23.4 per cent of children aged 6–23 months receive the minimum acceptable diet — a major barrier to healthy growth and brain development.

“More than half (51.3 per cent) of children under five are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition with long-term consequences on health, learning, and productivity.”

He added that the social sector in the state has been lagging behind over the years, noting that the approved budget for the social sector has declined between 2016 and 2020.

According to him, the approved budget for the sector was 38.57 per cent in 2016, 36.4 per cent in 2017, 17.8 per cent in 2018, and 12.98 per cent in 2020.

Farah stated, “If we need to do something about these alarming social indicators, the budget situation needs to be reversed.”

“Children represent over half of Katsina’s population, and investing in children, in their health, nutrition, education, protection, and participation, is not charity; it is the most strategic investment Katsina State can make.”

He therefore called on the state government and relevant stakeholders to work towards increasing budgetary allocations to the social sector, particularly child budgeting, which would improve the well-being of children across the state. (The Guardian)