News Investigators/ As part of activities to commemorate the Day of the African Child (DAC) 2025, UNICEF has urged Kaduna State Government to invest more in children so as to reap more impact.
The theme for the year’s celebration was ‘Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010’.
Gerida Birukila, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Kaduna, made the call at a high level stakeholder engagement organised by the State Budget and Planning Commission ( PBC ), with the support of UNICEF on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Mrs Birukila reminded the audience of the historical roots of the day, commemorating the 1976 Soweto uprising in South Africa.
She, therefore, highlighted ongoing challenges children were facing in the state, including high out-of-school rates, low birth registration, and severe multidimensional poverty.
According to her, child welfare indicators in Kaduna remain troubling.
Mrs Birukila disclosed that nearly 30 per cent of primary school-age children and over 50 per cent of those in secondary school are out-of-school.
She also reported that only 54.5 per cent of children under five have birth registration, while just 41 per cent of infants receive exclusive breastfeeding.
While commending recent increases in budget allocations toward education, health, and social protection, Birukila stressed the need for greater impact.
“Financial commitments often fall short of what’s needed to truly transform children’s lives, especially amid shrinking aid and tight fiscal space,” she said.
The commissioner of the commission, Mukhtar Ahmed, outlined the objectives of the event as increasing political will for resource allocation to child-focused services.
According to him, it is also to raise awareness about child-friendly budgeting, and promoting children’s participation in financial planning.
Mr Ahmed also announced the airing of a student-hosted television and radio programmes to further amplify the day’s messages.
He emphasised the significance of the theme in reflecting on past efforts and catalysing renewed action.
“We acknowledged in 2010 that in spite of our intentions, realisation of children’s rights was hindered by resource limitations and lack of inclusive planning.
“Today’s engagement is a chance to evaluate progress, and more importantly, chart a bold way forward,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event brought together policymakers, civil society organisations, development partners and students, including out-of-school children.
The event featured a review of child-friendly budgeting performance in Kaduna State between 2020 and 2025.
The participants examined trends in budget allocations and their effects on child-related indicators.
There were also calls for periodic children’s rights impact assessments, the collection of disaggregated data, and the establishment of an accountability framework to monitor budget execution for children’s welfare.
As the event concluded, the stakeholders expressed hope that it would lead to stronger commitments from MDAs, more inclusive budgeting practices, and better outcomes for children in Kaduna State.
NAN
