Northeast Stakeholders appeals for Prioritization of Women, Children in Social Sector Budgets

By: Ajiya Ayuba, Bauchi

In order to reduce child poverty and other related challenges affecting women and children who are the most vulnerable members of the society, Northeast stakeholders have appealed for the prioritization of Children, women issues on social sector budgets.

The stakeholders comprising of Commissioners of budget and planning, permanent secretaries, directors among others in the line ministries stated this in Gombe State on Thursday during a panel discussion at the Northeast-states Strategic Policy Dialogue on Social Budgeting for Child-Sensitive Sectors organized by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

They stressed the importance of adequately capturing issues of child’s right in annual allocations of the various States of the geopolitical region to curb child poverty and other related challenges affecting women and children who are the most vulnerable Nigerians.

During the panel of the discussions anchored by UNICEF, Bauchi Field Office Communications Officer, Opeyemi Olagunju.

The North East stakeholders from the Six States comprises of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe as well as social policy Specialist from the UNICEF, agreed that the annual allocations for child sensitive sectors will translate to a better future of not only the region, the country as a whole.

Opeyemi Olagunju while moderating the discussion, said UNICEF is ever ready to support any move that will increase access for women and children to good living in line with the relevant conventions.

According to the stakeholders, policies of education, health, nutrition (exclusive breastfeeding, good dieting) and WASH must be adequately provided and implemented for a healthy future.

The discussants opined that States must go back to domesticate the Social protection policy and strengthen it, adding that the domestication of the social protection policy will assist in reducing child abuse and neglect to the barest level.

The Panelists however expressed fear about the whole implementation of the social protection policy pleading with the relevant stakeholders in child protection issues to see to its domestication and implementation.

They expressed optimism that if child sensitive sectors are adequately captured in the budget and allocation promptly released, the problem of insecurity will reduce.

According to them, the Almajiri syndrome will be drastically taken care of just as the out of school children syndrome too will be addressed adequately.

The stakeholders called on the Governors of the Six States of the North-East subregion to support proposals on children issues from the relevant Ministries.

They stated that each MDAs has a specific role in the life of the child which are different from each but having the same purpose of ensuring the growth and development of the child.