By Yarima Haruna, Birnin Kebbi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Kebbi State Government for passing the Child Protection Bill at the State House of Assembly, describing it as a significant step toward safeguarding children’s rights. The organization noted that the bill would help free children held in detention, reduce the rigorous trials faced by minors, and facilitate their reintegration into society.
Chief Field Officer of UNICEF’s Sokoto Office, Mr. Michael Juma, gave the commendation during the 2025 End-of-Year Review Meeting held in Birnin Kebbi.
The meeting was organized in collaboration with the Kebbi State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Juma expressed UNICEF’s readiness to support the establishment of Family Courts to expedite justice delivery in rural areas. He also emphasized the importance of collecting accurate data on children to enhance planning and policy formulation in the state.
He explained that discussions had already taken place with the Kebbi State Commissioner for Justice regarding the creation of Family Courts that would handle cases involving children.
“On the establishment of Family Courts, I have spoken with the Commissioner of Justice, and UNICEF is fully ready to support this initiative,” Juma stated. “UNICEF promotes this globally because it ensures quick access to justice, particularly at the grassroots level.”
Speaking further, Juma underscored the need for accurate data on children’s populations, stressing that reliable information would enable the government, educators, and policymakers to make informed decisions, especially in budgeting for children’s needs.
He also reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continue collaborating with the Kebbi State Government on poverty surveys, social protection programs, and nutrition interventions. Juma lauded the government for releasing ₦500 million as counterpart funding for nutrition programmes.
However, he called for renewed efforts to address the issue of out-of-school children, prevent cholera outbreaks, and develop a roadmap for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program. He encouraged more Local Government Areas (LGAs) to join Arewa and Mayama in the campaign against open defecation.
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the Kebbi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Suleiman Khalid, cautioned organizations against implementing policies that conflict with the cultural, religious, and traditional values of the people.
He attributed the prevalence of out-of-school children and Almajiri pupils to social and ecological factors.
“During the dry season, many of these children are seen on the streets while adults migrate southward for work,” Khalid observed. “We must ask ourselves: don’t these communities have schools? Don’t they have traditional and religious leaders? We need to engage these leaders to ensure parents enroll their children in school.”
He further advised that enforcement of laws should be approached with sensitivity and dialogue to ensure successful implementation.
Various departments at the meeting presented their 2025 review reports on nutrition, social policy, social and behavioural change, education, and WASH, among others.
