By Hassan Zaggi
On Thursday, February 9, 2023, in a well attended ceremony, the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and partnership.
The partnership seeks to interface and advocate at the highest policy levels for a child-centered approach to development in Nigeria.
The essence of the MoU and partnership is to ensure the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the area of education, health and other child rights issues in Nigeria.
The partnership, according to keen observers of the education sector in the country, is an idea whose time has come, noting that it will, no doubt, improve the Nigeria’s education sector and expedite the attainment of SDGs in the areas of education and health.
It is worth noting that statistics show that children in Nigeria suffer various forms of deprivations both monetary and non-monetary.
According to the statistics, about 47.7 % of children face monetary poverty by belonging to household living with less than 137,400 naira per year (about 375.6 naira a day).
Furthermore, the Multidimensional Child Poverty Analysis approach reveals that approximately 54 % of children in Nigeria are multi-dimensionally poor by facing at least, three deprivations across seven dimensions of child rights.
These, the analysis said, include nutrition, healthcare, education, water, sanitation, adequate housing, and information.
More worrisome also, multidimensional poverty in children is more prevalent in the rural (65.7 %) than urban areas (28.4 %).
More disturbing, however, there are also high state disparities in Nigeria.
All these ugly statistics, experts in the education sector said, need to be addressed urgently, if not, poverty can persist from one generation to the next, creating an inter-generational cycle of poverty.
Speaking at the signing of the MoU and partnership in Abuja, recently, Chairman of NESG, Niyi Yusuf, explained that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, insisting that it was crucial that child rights violations and poverty in Nigeria be tackled to ensure their success.
“According to the National MPI 2022, two-thirds of our children are multi-dimensionally poor, with 51% of all poor people being children. This means over half of poor children lack the intellectual stimulation necessary for early childhood development,” he said.
Explaining the relevance of the partnership, Niyi said: “Our partnership with UNICEF is both timely and significant. UNICEF is a leading provider of humanitarian and developmental aid for children worldwide, and this launch represents a critical step towards a future where children’s rights are respected, and they receive the support they need to become productive citizens.”
In her remarks, the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, reiterated that UNICEF will continue to pursue its mandate of ensuring that children’s rights are protected.
She further noted that UNICEF is dedicated to protecting children’s rights in Nigeria and worldwide, and helping them build a strong foundation for their future.
The UNICEF Country Representative said: “Our partnership with NESG highlights the urgency of realizing this goal and efforts to achieve child rights protection in Nigeria through effective public policies.
“Investing in children is investing in human capital. The right nutrition and care, especially during the first 1000 days of life can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty.
“It can break the cycle of poverty for families, communities, and countries, and shape a society’s long-term stability and prosperity.”
A cross section of stakeholders in the education sector interviewed by our correspondent expressed optimism that the MoU, if religiously executed will not only improve the education sector, but will also reduce poverty to the barest minimum and the ugly health indices in the country.
A renowned educationist in Zaria, Malam Zubairu Hashimu, while baring his mind on the possible impact of the MoU, said that he is watching keenly to see the implementation of the partnership and the result it will bring to the development of the education sector.
“I saw the signing of the MoU in the media and I am happy about it. My joy is premised on the fact that UNICEF is a reputable international body that will not put its hands on something and allow it to fail.
“I am watching to see the end result of this agreement and the positive impact it will add to the education sector. When you look round, all our indices and statistics in the education and health sectors are worrisome, therefore, any effort aim at correcting these negative figures should be commended and supported.”
Malam Hashimu, therefore, called on all relevant agencies of government and indeed, all stakeholders in the education sector both at states and federal level to support the effort of UNICEF and NESG to ensure that the partnership succeeds for the good of all children in Nigeria.
On her part, an Abuja-based educationist, Dr. Ruth Anselem, applauded UNICEF and NESG for the initiative, stressing that if executed to the later, no doubt, the “ugly statistics Nigeria is known for in the infringement of child rights and poverty across the country will be a thing of the past.
“It will also improve both education and health sector and reverse all the negative indices around child rights and poverty.”
