As part of activities in continuation of commemoration of the Day of the African Child (DAC) 2025, UNICEF has urged the government of Kaduna state to invest more in children so as to reap more impact.
The theme for the years’ celebration was “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010,”
Dr. Gerida Birukila, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Kaduna, made the call at a high-level stakeholder engagement organised by the PBC with support of the UNICEF in Kaduna.
Out-of-school Rates
She highlighted ongoing challenges children face in Kaduna, including a high number of out-of-school rates, low birth registration, and severe multidimensional poverty.
According to her, “Child welfare indicators in Kaduna remains troubling.”
She cited 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 stressed.
The event brought together policymakers, civil society organisations, development partners, students, including out-of-school children and media representatives.
The event featured a review of child-friendly budgeting performance in Kaduna State between 2020 and 2025.
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.