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Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has pledged to include UNICEF’s additional N1.2 billion funding request in the 2027 state budget to make life better for the citizens of the state.
Radda made this pledge when he received the new Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr. Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, and his delegation on a courtesy visit to Katsina on Sunday.
The UNICEF Kano Field Office supports programme implementation across Katsina, Kano and Jigawa states.
The Governor noted that despite limited resources, his administration would continue to prioritise interventions capable of producing measurable improvements in the lives of Katsina residents.
Said he, years of collaboration between Katsina State and UNICEF were already producing encouraging results, particularly in the fight against child malnutrition. “We have been working closely with UNICEF over the years, and we are encouraged by the results we are seeing”.
He noted that the partnership had supported the establishment of stabilisation centres and outpatient treatment sites for children with severe acute malnutrition, adding that the number of children requiring treatment at the facilities had begun to decline.
To further build on the achievements attained between government and UNICEF, he said approval has been made for the release of N500 million counterpart funding for the Child Nutrition Fund aimed at improving nutrition, healthcare and other development indicators across the state.
Radda further assured UNICEF that Katsina would continue to fulfil its responsibilities in interventions aimed at improving the wellbeing of residents, stating, “We are not doing it for you; we are doing it for our people.”
On education, the Governor said his administration had recruited over 9,000 teachers and invested significantly in teacher training, including a recent Training of Trainers programme involving 250 participants and facilitated by a British expert.
Earlier, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano, Mr. Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, commended Governor Radda for sustaining what he described as a productive partnership with UNICEF, particularly in healthcare, nutrition, education, sanitation, child protection and social development.
Ur-Rehman said the partnership had contributed to improved primary healthcare services, especially in rural and underserved communities, noting that full routine immunisation coverage had more than doubled while under-five mortality had declined significantly compared with the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey.
