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From Agaju Madugba, Kano
Courtesy of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), some 15,000 Almajirai (Koranic education pupils) in Katsina have been integrated into Tsangaya schools model which combine Islamic education curriculum and Western education.
Speaking on Thursday in Kano on the occasion of the 2025 World Children’s Day celebration, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano, Rahama Mohammed Farah, also noted that a total of 112 Koranic schools in Katsina State currently operate the dual curriculum.
He said that the United Nations in 2017 set side November 20 every year to celebrate children from across the world.
In the 2025 report, which Farah said embodies real-life experiences of children in Nigeria, highlighted the progress made and the challenges that remain especially in the Kano field office comprising Katsina, Kano and Jigawa states.
He said that in spite of progress made in immunization drive, “malnutrition remains high in the North-West, with Nigeria ranking the first country in Africa and the second in the world for the number of malnourished children.
“Education gaps persist as millions of children in the North are out of school, and many who attend struggle to learn due to overcrowded classrooms, insecurity, and poverty.
“Child marriage and harmful practices remain prevalent, with over half of girls in rural areas married before age 18.
“Across the states of Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina, these challenges are evident. Education in these states presents a deep and urgent concern.
“Katsina, Kano and Jigawa together account for 16 per cent of Nigeria’s 10.2 million out-of-school children.
“Katsina alone has over 300,000 children out-of-school, Kano nearly 900,000 and Jigawa, more than 330,000.
“Children in rural communities face barriers to health and nutrition, but with support, they are overcoming these challenges.
“What UNICEF is doing to support the governments to change the situation and the achievements are being recorded
“UNICEF Kano Field Office has been working with the governments of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states to address the development challenges affecting children as highlighted in The Nigerian Child 2025 report.
“In Katsina State, UNICEF’s collaboration with the Katsina State government has resulted in increased investment by the government in addressing severe acute malnutrition with the Government contributing over N1 billion for the procurement of Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) under the Child Nutrition Match Fund (CNF).
“Local governments in Katsina State are also investing one per cent of their total budget to nutrition in all the 34 Local Government Areas.
“With UNICEF’s support Katsina State has recently attained the status of Open-Defecation-Free state and becoming the second state in Nigeria after Jigawa to achieve this result.
“Under Child Protection, the Katsina State government and UNICEF are implementing a massive birth registration programme to ensure that every child in Katsina State has a birth certificate which confers them a legal identity as prescribed by Article 7 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“UNICEF and Katsina State government collaboration is also addressing Sexual and gender-based violence against children, including child marriage, through community-driven interventions,” he said.
