Kaduna: As part of activities to commemorate the Day of the African Child (DAC) 2025, UNICEF has urged the Kaduna State Government to invest more in children to have more impact.
The theme for the year’s 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 State Budget and Planning Commission (PBC) with UNICEF’s support on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Birukila reminded the audience of the day’s historical roots, 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.
Birukila disclosed that nearly 30 per cent of primary school-age children and over 50 per cent of secondary school students 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 commission’s commissioner, Mukhtar Ahmed, outlined the event’s objectives as increasing political will for resource allocation to child-focused services.
According to him, it also raises awareness about child-friendly budgeting and promotes children’s participation in financial planning.
Ahmed also announced the airing of 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 despite our intentions, the realisation of children’s rights was hindered by resource limitations and a lack of inclusive planning.
“Today’s engagement is a chance to evaluate progress and, more importantly, chart a bold way forward,” he said.
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, collecting disaggregated data, and establishing an accountability framework to monitor budget execution for children’s welfare.
As the event concluded, the stakeholders hoped it would lead to more substantial commitments from MDAs, more inclusive budgeting practices, and better outcomes for children in Kaduna State.