The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has brought together stakeholders from Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina states to enhance coordination and peer learning on social protection reporting.
The announcement was made Thursday at the opening of a two-day joint quarterly Social Protection Technical Working Groups meeting organized in Kaduna by UNICEF’s Kano Field Office.
UNICEF Social Policy Specialist Fatimah Musa said social protection ensures stable access to income and essential services such as healthcare and education.
She noted that child poverty is higher in rural areas, requiring urgent interventions to help children reach their potential. “They face severe deprivation, including poor access to nutrition, water, sanitation, healthcare, shelter, education, and protection,” Musa said.
Katsina Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning Malik Anas emphasized that strengthening social protection is key to tackling poverty and inequality. He added that robust policies are crucial to addressing rising poverty, particularly in Nigeria’s Northwest region.
Anas highlighted that social assistance, insurance, and labor interventions are shaped by unequal resource distribution. He stressed that addressing such imbalances is essential for building a society where opportunities and basic services are accessible to all.
“Poverty is a condition where individuals lack basic needs such as food, housing, clean water, and healthcare. Social inequality reflects unequal access to opportunities and rewards among different groups,” he said, warning that persistent poverty could expose young people to risks including recruitment into banditry and crime.
Anas noted that under Gov. Dikko Umaru Radda, Katsina has approved programs to reduce poverty among vulnerable groups. “These initiatives aim to strengthen social protection systems, expand opportunities, and build a more equitable society for women and children,” he added.
Jigawa Acting Permanent Secretary Abdul Ladan commended UNICEF for supporting the effective implementation of social protection laws and policies. Katsina Social Protection Director Tijjani Umar said the meeting promoted cross-learning on financing, climate-responsive, and child-sensitive interventions.
