Jigawa State had been ranked as having the highest percentage of multi-dimensionally poor children in the nation, at 73.9 percent.
This was included in the results of the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 6), which was released in August 2022, according to a speech given by the UNICEF Kano Chief Field Officer, Mr. Rahama Rihiod Mohammed Farah, during the launch of the MICS 6 in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa state.
The Jigawa State Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the UNICEF Kano Field Office organized the launch of the MICS 6 survey report, which was done at the Manpower Development Institute. Many important stakeholders, including political figures, public servants, members of civil society, community leaders and organizations, traditional leaders, religious figures, and donor partners were present.
The research, according to Mr. Rahama Rihiod Mohammed Farah, is alarming because it reveals the precarious condition the kids are in and their unknown future.
“The Survey was carried out in 2021 and the results are released in Aug 2022 shows that 73.9% of children in Jigawa are multi-dimensionally poor”, adding that the surgery indicated that 65 percent of children in the northeast were Multi-dimensionally poor.
“This high rate shows a striking reality that children’s rights in Jigawa State are not being fulfilled. Most children in the state are deprived of their basic rights for survival, protection, and development.”
Though, in his opinion, the survey results (MICS 6, 2021) show that the state has significantly improved in some indicators, such as child immunization coverage from 2011 to 2021, achieving a 37% decrease in under-five mortality.
“This indeed a substantial progress that needs to be continued and sustained.”
“However, there are still indicators that either did not improve (such as the case of child birth registration) Child nutrition”.
“In Education, 44% of children that are supposed to be in primary school are still out of school. While learning foundation skill outcome is 2%.”
“Today’s launching of the MICS in Jigawa is an urgent call for action, this an emergency call for policymakers, community leaders, civil society organizations, politicians, state parliamentarians, and international actors across all sectors to put the most needed efforts and design innovative strategies to improve the current human development situation in the state especially for improving the well-being of children and women who suffer the most” Farah Declared.