The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Kano State Government to prioritise the welfare and development of children in its budgeting and planning processes.
Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, Mr Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, made the appeal during a media dialogue on child-sensitive budgeting and planning in Kano State.
Mr Farah emphasised the urgent need for deliberate action to safeguard the well-being of children in the state, warning that Kano’s future depended on the strategic investment in child health, education, and protection.
“We must act urgently to prioritise the well-being and development of children in Kano State’s budgets and plans,” Mr Farah said.
The event, which convened government officials, civil society leaders, and media practitioners, underscored the critical role of budgeting in addressing pressing child-related challenges.
Mr Farah expressed concern over alarming rates of child mortality, malnutrition, and limited access to education in Kano, calling for a targeted response from policymakers.
He stressed the need for child-sensitive budgeting that allocates sufficient resources to vital programmes, ensures expenditure tracking, and delivers measurable outcomes.
“We need budgets that truly reflect the needs of our children — budgets that allocate sufficient resources to critical programmes, track spending, and report on outcomes,” he said.
Stakeholders at the dialogue issued a call to action, urging the Kano State Government to institutionalise child-sensitive budgeting, increase funding for child-focused initiatives, and enhance transparency and accountability in budget execution.
PIAK