PARTICIPANTS at the just concluded workshop on strengthening states capacity on children’s rights have pledged their commitment to enunciate policies that would ensure better future for children in the country.

The participants made the commitment in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the closing ceremony of the workshop in Kano.

The participants also pledged to ensure that adequate budgetary allocations are made to the various sectors to actualise children’s rights in their respective states.

One of the participates and Kano State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hajiya Aisha Jafar-Yusuf stressed the need for adequate planning and timely release of funds for the implementation of policies that would promote the wellbeing of children who are believed to be the most vulnerable.

“The workshop has emphasised the need for us to do our best to plan well, ensure prompt release of funds to sectors and monitor the implementation.

“In Kano state we have what we call performance tracking as part our strategy to ensure policies are implemented to the latter,”she said.

Jafar-Yusuf, who commended Unicef and the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning for initiating the meeting which discussed way forward with regards to addressing problems against the wellbeing of Nigerian child.

Also speaking, the Director, Kwara state Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Mr Samuel Oladipo commended Unicef for taking the pain to organise the meeting which discussed about the future of the Nigerian child.

“The meeting was timely in view of the numerous problems children face with regards to their health and education particularly in the northern part of the country, “he said.

In his remarks, the Plateau State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Sylvester Ibrahim Wallongko said education is the most important legacy which parents should leave to their children.

“We must give priority to children’s education in our planning execution because education is the bedrock of socio-economic development of any country and failure to do so will definitely have a negative effect on them and the country, “he said.

On his part, Zamfara Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin Magaji said the state government had introduced Conditional Cash Transfer programme where it planned to spend N1 billion on the implementation of the programme.

According to him, the money would be disbursed to the poorest of poor households across the 14 Local Government Areas of the state.

“The CCT programme will improve the socio-economic condition of the indigent households in addition to promoting girl-child education in the state.”

NAN reports that the four-day workshop was organised by Unicef in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning for 19 Northern states Commissioners of Budget and Planning and Women Affairs. (NAN)

– Aug. 4, 2018 @ 12:45 GMT |