By Sani Idris
The Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), funded by UNICEF, has on Tuesday mobilised the North-Central states to strengthen social budgeting for child-sensitive sectors in Nigeria.
The North-Central states are; Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Niger, Platue and Kwara.
Speaking at the zonal strategic advocacy policy dialogue in Keffi, Nasarawa state, the Chief of Social Policy, UNICEF Nigeria, Hamidou Poufon, lamented an upsurge of poverty and weak social services indicators as reflected in the various national and sub-national surveys.
Poufon, was represented by Wakidara Akila, the Social Policy Officer,
UNICEF Kaduna Field Office.
He said the engagement was in line with UNICEF’s global program framework of engagements with governments to support data and evidence generation to advocate for greater and better public investment in children as well as inform sector reforms.
Poufon explained that the programme seeks to collaboratively chart a path to adequate and sustainable finance the social sectors in Kaduna and the North-Central region of Nigeria, with emphasis on increased public allocation and expenditure for children towards the realisation of the rights and well-being.
“We hope to share experiences and learnings, identify challenges, and opportunities of addressing these gaps as well as identify financing options for child-focused services and programs using the fiscal space diamond,”he said.
He equally said the engagement would properly document the challenges against effective public allocation and expenditure to the social sector and come up with recommendations on how to improve social sector allocation and expenditure.
Also, representative of Kaduna State, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, the State’s Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development, stressed the importance of children and their social wellbeing.
Salisu said that Kaduna state is different from others in terms of child policies because of the state’s policies which are active.
She added that most of the Northwest states have many unimplemented policies and opportunities due to cultural, religious and ethnic baground.
She emphasised that the cultural, religious and ethnic background were critical for development partners to operate smoothly in the states.
The commissioner said Kaduna state benefits from UNICEF and other development partners in protecting and enhancing child wellbeing and others programmes which are distinct from other states.
She mentioned some of the programmes to include, women and children shelta, diversion programmes, children at risk, among others UNICEF contributed to.
“Most of the programmes that are supposed to be of government, partners have keyed into them. If other states can come up with such policies, they will benefit for the betterment of its citizens,”Salisu said.
In a goodwill messages, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Finance, Mrs Munira Abdullahi, said the engagement was timely as most of the states are preparing their budget for 2025.
She therefore said the dialogue would open up the needed space for child sensitive budgeting for the development of children which would translate to their better future and of the states in general.
On his part, the Kogi State Commissioner of Finance, Mr Asiru Idris, urged UNICEF to bring back the state as its field office so as to benefit more in terms of child-centred programmes and interventions.
Idris, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Muhammad Sani, restated the state’s commitment to the welfare of children and women in the state.
“When Kogi state was under UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, we enjoyed more of the support,”he said .
The Permanent Secretary, Niger state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hadiza Shiru, said time is changing and being accompanied by multiple and complex issues affecting children more.
She therefore said the engagement was timely and was in tally with the Niger state’s commitment to the welfare of its citizens especially women and children.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that a panel, featured in the dialogue, discussed states commitment to prioritise education, health, and social protection sectors in budget allocation and utilisation.(NAN)
