60% Of Niger Children Are Multi-dimensionally Poor – UNICEF

Niger State government has received the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report with 60 per cent of children in the state multi-dimensionally poor.

The report, powered by United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), revealed that over 60 per cent of children in the state were multi-dimensionally poor and 10 per cent of mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding.

The chief of UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Donald Norris, represented by a medical expert, Dr Idris Baba stated this while presenting the MICS report at Minna yesterday.

He however said that the MICS data indicated that the learning achievement situation in the state has improved while urging the state government to tackle the situation in the areas that needed improvement.

Niger State governor Abubakar Sani Bello represented by the secretary to the state government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to proffer options for prompt interventions through policies and programmes indicated in the 2021 MICS report.

He directed for the sensitisation and dissemination of MICS by the State Ministry of Planning Commission in partnership with the UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, adding that improvement should be made in the areas the state was not doing well like open defecation, water and sanitation, maternal and infant mortality as well as out of school children.

The representative of the governor noted that data is a reflection of who or where one is and must be adopted to ensure proper interventions in the areas it was most needed even as he described MICS as the only global reliable data collector.

He assured that the government will make use of the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report as a guide to take crucial decisions to save lives of under age, correct open defecation among others.

The commissioner and deputy chairman of the Ministry of Planning Commission, Alhaji Zakari Abubakar said the children, women and household data is key for planning and policy development.

He assured that the ministry will not relent in its mandate with regards to the provision of data to show areas of focus as well as areas to improve upon in terms of development.