Katsina Partners UNICEF To Strengthen Local Government Action Against Child Poverty

The Katsina State government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has convened a two-day workshop for all the 34 Local Government Chairmen in the State, to develop meaningful data-driven strategies to combat child poverty.

Governor Dikko Umar Radda revealed this in his opening speech on Monday, saying that the workshop was a significant step towards uplifting the quality of lives of children across Katsina State.

In his words, ‘’Good governance is not only about policies and projects but about improving the quality of life of every citizen, particularly our children, who represent the very soul and future of our State.”

The governor also noted that child poverty is one of the most pressing issues faced in Nigeria today, adding that a child born into poverty is more likely to experience a lifetime of disadvantage, and that is a cycle that must be broken.

According to him, the local government chairmen are the closest to the people, they should be the first responders to the problem of poverty and exclusion, adding that they are the ones who ensure that every intervention has a positive impact.

The governor referred to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index, which states that approximately 65.4% of children between the ages of 0-17 years in Katsina State live in poverty, which translates to an estimated 1.6 million children under the age of 5 facing multiple hardships, including nutrition, housing, sanitation, and health.

He stressed that his administration understands that reducing poverty cannot be accomplished through isolated efforts, but rather demands strategic coordination, focused social protection measures, and decisions driven by credible data.

He also revealed that his administration, in partnership with the Federal Government and development partners, has recorded significant progress through initiatives such as conditional cash transfers, school feeding programmes, skills acquisition for women and youth, and community empowerment projects.

According to him, ‘‘Every Local Government must enhance its social protection systems not just by providing benefits, but by fostering resilience, creating livelihood opportunities, and empowering families to transition from dependence to self-sufficiency.

“Our vision, encapsulated in the Building Your Future strategic blueprint, is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities),” he added.

Katsina State, with a population of over 10million people, faces significant challenges in child poverty reduction.

The programme aimed at equipping the State’s local government area chairmen with the capacity to utilise data for evidence-based governance, ensuring that the social protection initiatives were well-targeted, efficient, and impactful.