UNICEF Urges Kano to Adopt Child-Centered Budgeting

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has made a passionate appeal to the Kano State Government to institutionalize child-sensitive budgeting as a fundamental tool for addressing the pressing needs of children across the state.

This call was made by the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mr. Rahama Farah, during a media dialogue jointly organized by UNICEF and the Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget. The dialogue focused on the importance of integrating child-sensitive policies into budgetary planning and implementation processes.

Farah emphasized that prioritizing child-focused expenditure is not optional but essential, describing it as a “non-negotiable investment” in the state’s long-term development. He stressed the need for deliberate planning that places the welfare, protection, and development of every child in Kano at the forefront of governance.

“Today’s meeting is not just about dialogue—it’s about taking decisive action,” Farah stated. “Our objective is clear and urgent: to ensure that Kano State’s budgets and strategic plans are consciously and effectively designed to safeguard the well-being and rights of every child.”

He urged the state government to mandate child-sensitive budgeting across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), making it a standard component in the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submissions and the annual budget process.

Farah presented distressing statistics to highlight the urgency of this initiative. According to him, Kano State has an estimated 6.5 million children under the age of 18, and the data on child mortality, poverty, malnutrition, and education reveals a deeply concerning reality:

• 143,000 children under five die annually in Kano, based on an under-five mortality rate of 143 deaths per 1,000 live births (MICS 2021).
• 2.9 million children are not fully immunized, leaving them exposed to preventable but deadly diseases.
• Approximately 4 million children are affected by multidimensional poverty, lacking adequate access to healthcare, education, and nutrition.
• Over 3 million children live in monetary poverty, where families struggle to meet basic needs.
• 35% of children of primary and junior secondary school age—nearly 2.3 million—are out of school, posing a severe threat to future human capital and economic growth in the state.
• 4.7 million children aged 6–23 months are not receiving the minimum acceptable diet, hampering their brain development and physical growth.
• As a result, over 3 million children under five are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition with long-term consequences.
• In 2025 alone, three cases of the circulating poliovirus variant have been reported in Kano, exposing continued vulnerabilities in immunization coverage.

These sobering figures, according to Farah, underline the urgent need to enhance investments in child survival interventions, education, nutrition, and social protection services.

Despite these grave challenges, Farah lamented the inconsistent and often inadequate funding of social sectors in the state.

“Between 2016 and 2020, budget allocations to critical sectors such as health, education, and social welfare have seen fluctuations and in some years, outright decline, despite the growing needs,” he noted.

He maintained that investing in children should not be seen as an act of charity, but rather as a strategic and transformative investment in the state’s future prosperity, resilience, and stability.

“Children in Kano are not just passive recipients of support—they are the future architects of the state. The choices we make today will determine the strength and sustainability of tomorrow’s human capital,” Farah added.

He urged the government to translate its goodwill into concrete, strategic, and well-funded actions that are firmly embedded in Kano’s planning and budgeting frameworks.

In a related development, the Deputy Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Muhammad Bello Butu-Butu, expressed the Assembly’s readiness to enact laws that would promote the welfare and protection of children in the state.

He called on heads of government ministries and agencies to go beyond paper-based budgets and actively pursue the release and timely implementation of funds allocated for child-centered programs.

“Budgeting is only effective when followed through with timely releases and execution. We urge all MDAs to treat implementation as a priority,” Butu-Butu stated.

As Kano State prepares for its upcoming budget cycle, UNICEF has called this a critical turning point. According to Farah, the decisions made in the next budget will not only determine the fate of children today but also shape the future of the entire state.

“This is a pivotal moment,” he concluded. “If we are truly committed to sustainable development, then prioritizing child-sensitive budgeting is the place to begin.”