UNICEF Supports Jigawa On Child-Sensitive Budgeting, Safeguarding 1.5 Children
By: Ahmed Amunu, Dutse
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has pledged more support to Jigawa State government to strengthen the state’s child-sensitive budgeting and planning systems to better the lives of over 1.5 million children in the state.
The pledge was made by the Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah in a speech during the Media Dialogue on Child Sensitive Budgeting and Planning, on Thursday in Dutse.
He said they will collaborate with other development partners to provide technical expertise and data evidence-based models to enhance child-sensitive budgeting and planning systems in the state.
Farah expressed the need to increase budget allocations for key child-sensitive sectors such as Health, Nutrition, Education, especially foundational learning and Early Child Development, WASH, and Child Protection.
“Jigawa State has one of the highest under-five mortality rates in Nigeria, estimated at 127 deaths per 1,000 live births. This means approximately 1 in 8 children born in Jigawa do not live to see their fifth birthday and only 5% of children under two receive a minimum acceptable diet.
“This requires making tough choices by prioritising the state’s future, improve targeting and efficiency where directors of Planning and Budget and Heads of MDAs must utilise data to ensure resources reach the children and communities most in need.
“Procurement and financial management must be strengthened to minimise waste and maximise impact per Naira spent and enhance tracking and transparency. The MDAs must implement robust systems to clearly tag, track, and publicly report on expenditures related to children, and consider establishing a regular monitoring including children and communities, to see where the money allocated for them is going,” he said.
Farah emphasised the need to strengthen coordination between MDAs and local governments, while community leaders should integrate children and caregivers’ voices into local planning processes as they know their needs best.
“To the decision makers and leaders of Jigawa state, the choices you make regarding the state budget are choices about the future of hundreds of thousands of children. They are choices about the future health, prosperity, and stability of Jigawa state itself.”
The UNICEF chief warned that the cost of inaction would be measured in lost lives, diminished potentials, and perpetual poverty, adding that the current data has made compelling for all those responsible to act.
“The data compels us to act. Our shared humanity compels us to act,” he stressed.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdullah Muhammad Kainuwa expressed the urgent need for stakeholders to provide a comprehensive framework for the state on child-sensitive budgeting and planning which will take care of all children’s needs such as nutrition.
He suggested the setting up of coordination committees at the state and 27 local government councils for proper and effective implementation of the framework.
“The nutrition issue or to say general children sensitive matters is the responsibility of everyone, not only government. It is important and necessary for all stakeholders including partners to put all hands on deck to save, improve and maintain the safety and lives of the children,” the commissioner said.
He attributed security challenges, lost of responsibilities by care givers, misplacement of priorities by government officials and increasing population as major factors hindering abilities to achieve the desired objectives on children sensitive matters and development.
