65% Of Northwest Children Are Multi-dimensionally Poor – Survey

Sixty-five percent of Northwest children are multi-dimensionally poor, with Jigawa State ranking highest, 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 6) has revealed.

The Mics 6 report which was launched yesterday in Dutse was organised by Jigawa State Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in collaboration with UNICEF field office Kano.

The event was attended by many critical stakeholders including political leaders, civil servants, civil societies, community leaders and group, traditional leaders, religious leaders and donor partners among others.

Mrs Raham Mohammed Farah of UNICEF Office Kano said the survey which was carried out in 2021 showed that 73.9% of children in Jigawa were multi-dimensionally poor.

This high rate showed a striking reality that children’s rights in Jigawa state were not being fulfilled. Most children in the state were deprived of their basic rights for survival, protection and development.

The report noted that while the state had made significant progress in some indicators such as child Immunisation coverage,from 2011 to 2021, it achieved the reduction of under-five mortality by 37%. This indeed a substantial progress that needs to be continued and sustained.

“However, there are still indicators that are either did not improve (such as the case of child birth registration) Child nutrition”.

“In Education, 44% of children that are supposed to be in primary school are still out of school. While learning four dation skill outcome is 2%.”

“Today’s launching of the MICS in Jigawa is an urgent call for action, this an emergency call for policy makers, community leaders, civil society organizations, politicians, the state parliamentarians and international actors across all sectors to put the most need efforts and design innovative strategies to improve the current human development situation in the state specially for improving the wellbeing of children and women who suffer the most,” Farah Declared.