The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for increased financial investment in social sectors to address multidimensional poverty, which continues to hinder development in Nigeria.
The Chief of UNICEF’s Sokoto Field Office, Mr Michael Juma, made the appeal on Monday in Sokoto during a five-day workshop organised by the Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with UNICEF’s support through the European Union’s Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection Project.
The workshop focused on developing three-year Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS) for 2026–2028, covering Health, Education, Social Protection, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Sokoto State.
Represented by UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Mr Isah Ibrahim, Juma noted that despite increased state budgets, poverty and lack of access to basic services remained high, particularly among vulnerable households in Northern Nigeria.
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“This troubling trend of multidimensional and learning poverty has escalated over the years and requires collective action by government, the private sector, and communities,” he said.
While commending the Sokoto State Government for its commitment to social protection, Juma urged for higher budgetary allocations and effective implementation of child-focused initiatives, such as cash transfers, social health insurance, malnutrition prevention, and support for out-of-school children.
He further encouraged the state to fully embrace programme-based budgeting, a transition UNICEF is supporting in nine states.
Sokoto State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Abubakar Zayyana, lauded UNICEF’s support, stressing that ministries, departments and agencies must align budgets with government’s nine-point smart agenda. “Ambiguous budgets or those designed without proper planning will no longer be acceptable,” he said.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Wurno, also charged planning directors to make realistic, evidence-based projections in line with ministerial objectives, warning that proposals not aligned with the ministry’s priorities would be rejected.