By Philip Yatai

The Kaduna State Government and development partners on Thursday, pledged to ensure equitable and sustainable realisation of child rights in the state.

The government and its partners made the commitment in Kaduna, at the inauguration of Situation Analysis (SitAn) of Children in Kaduna State.

The Commissioner Planning and Budget Commission, Hajiya Umma Aboki, said that the document developed with support from UNICEF was to give direction for the care and development of children in the state.

Aboki, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Bashir Muhammad, as leaders of tomorrow, we must devise ways to ways to ensure adequate planning for the growth and development of children.

She thanked UNICEF for the support and promised to implement the recommendations in the document to address all issues affecting the growth and development of children in the state.

“The Kaduna State Government is committed to providing an enabling environment through policies, plans and strategies for equitable and sustainable growth and development of all children.

“The government is also committed to increasing investment to implement all recommendations in the document as well as various programmes and projects designed to ensure child’s right, protection, and other development issues.

She called on all stakeholders – families, community and religious leaders, civil society organisations, and the private sector to use the SitAn report as a guide for programme development and implementation.

The commissioner also urged relevant stakeholders to redouble efforts towards ensuring healthy, skillful, and productive children in Kaduna state.

“This in the long run will result in increased Gross Domestic Product, increased Per Capita Income, and increased life expectancy rate and improved standard of living,” she said.

Inaugurating the report, the Commissioner of Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni, said that the SitAn provides an insight to the situation of children in the state.

Mohammed Baloni said that the document highlights where the government was doing very well, the gaps and how to improve.

The Director, Development Aid Coordination, Mr Salisu Lawal said that the report provides an insight about child poverty, child survival and development.

Other issues, according to the director include child education, child protection and other cross-cutting rights around participation, social security, and freedom. 

Earlier, UNICEF’s Social Policy Specialist, Mrs Ramatu Aliyu, said that the core mandate of UNICEF was to ensure the welfare of children for them to grow and thrive.

Aliyu stressed the importance of understanding the situation of children, adding that support was to see the realities of children in Kaduna state, the situation and what can be done going forward.

She explained that the efforts brought everybody together – different social sectors, health education, water and sanitation, child protection and other agencies working to improve the welfare of children.

She pledged UNICEF’s continued support to ensure in health education, nutrition, protection, water and sanitation and poverty that children’s issues were taken forward and addressed.

Also, Mrs Sarah Kwasu, State Team Lead, Alive and Thrive (FHI 360), commended Kaduna state government for developing the document to provide a clear picture on issues affecting children in the state.

Kwasu said that the organisation would continue to work with the state government to deliver quality services that would improve the nutrition wellbeing of women and children. (NAN)