By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
Disturbed about the declining rate of quality of lives of children occasioned by inadequate budgetary allocations to childrens’ activities in Jigawa state, stakeholders have canvassed the need for the state government to tackle the development through increased budgetary funding to sensitive children activities in the state.
Among the core areas identified for urgent interventions included education health social protection and malnutrition, with the overall objectives being to uplift the socio-economic wellbeing of the children.
These calls were made at a One-Day Media Dialogue on Child Budgeting and Planning facilitated by the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) for media practitioners and other stakeholders to update them with the knowledge and skills to drive meaningful change and rid the state from the menace of malnutrition among children.
Apart from the media personalities, the dialogue brought together relevant stakeholders from the relevant government ministries departments and agencies as well as different sectors, such as the civil society organizations,( CSOs) to address the issues that were common to children in the state.
Physically present at the forum were the Commissioners for Health, Basic Education, Water Resources, Budget and Economic Planning Local Government and Community Development, while the Women Affairs and Social Development Commissioner was represented by her Permanent Secretary.
Though all agreed that the state had recorded marked on the health and well-being of children, the recent National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) has put the state as one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in Nigeria, with 55.6% of children under five suffering from stunting.
Setting the tone for the discussion the Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Dr. Rahama Rihoon Mohamed Farah, highlighted the importance of investing in children through Child-Sensitive Budgeting and Planning, describing it as “an investment in the future of the state, given the fact that we have more than 1.5 million children under the age of 5 years in Jigawa,”
While acknowledging that Jigawa has recorded a lot of progress in improving the lives of children, he noted however that many were still being left behind.
According to him, “Available data paint a challenging picture: Survival at Risk, The Shadow of Malnutrition, Quality Learning Denied, and Protection Gaps,” he noted.
For Farah, Child-Sensitive Budgeting and Planning is not just about creating a separate budget line for children, but a deliberate and systematic approach to planning, allocating, releasing, spending, and tracking public resources to ensure they effectively and equitably meet children’s specific needs and uphold their rights.
He, therefore emphasized the need for prioritizing child outcomes, equity focus, lifecycle lens, transparency, and accountability, as well as efficiency and effectiveness in budgeting and planning for children.
He also highlighted the moral and legal imperative for investing in children, citing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act 2003, which is domesticated by Jigawa State.
In his keynote address, the Jigawa State Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Babangida Umar Gantsa, assured that the state government would continue to support the fight against malnutrition among children in the state. “We are committed to ensuring that our budgeting and planning processes prioritize the needs of children,” he said.
Gantsa, a former Commissioner for Finance, whose ministry coordinates budgetary activities across the MDAs in the state also assured that the state government would comply with UNICEF’s request to establish units and departments dedicated to fighting malnutrition among children across all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. “Preparation is already underway to establish these units and departments,” he noted.
For him, the timing of media dialogue is apt coming at a time when the state government is in the verge of commencing the preparation for another round budgetary activities, hoping would it provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss the challenges of malnutrition among children in Jigawa State and to chart a way forward for addressing the issue,” the commissioner explained.
Furthermore, Gantsa stated that the role of UNICEF in supporting the state government in addressing the issue of malnutrition among children at this critical time is also commendable.
Commenting during the session of the dialogue, the Chairman of the Jigawa State Correspondent Chapel, Zangina Kura, emphasized the critical role of the media in addressing the problem of malnutrition among children in the state, saying that “the media must be proactive in highlighting the issues and holding leaders accountable.”
Kura urged media practitioners to prioritize stories on child malnutrition and to ensure that the issue remains on the front burner of public discourse.
In a similar vein, the Chairman of the Jigawa State Social Protection Platform, (JISOP) Shu’aibu Musa Kafingana, who led other CSOs pledged the commitment of civil society organizations to support the fight against malnutrition among children in the state. “We will work with the government and other stakeholders to ensure that the issue is addressed,” he said.
Kafingana harped on the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to addressing the problem of malnutrition among children, involving government, civil society, and the media through ensuring the monitoring of the implementation of what was designed, budgeted and released for the program.
Participants at the Dialogue resolved to work together to ensure that the needs of children are prioritized in planning, budgeting, releasing, implementation and monitoring processes in the state.
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