Governor Umar Namadi has asked for closer teamwork between the Jigawa State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). He wants this partnership to boost child welfare, social protection, and human development in the state.
The governor made this request on Friday while welcoming the new head of UNICEF's Kano Field Office, Shafeeq Ur-Rehman. Shafeeq visited him at the Government House in Dutse with his team.
While receiving the guests, Governor Namadi congratulated Mr Shafeeq Ur-Rehman on his appointment. He said this comes at a key moment for Jigawa State and the wider North-West region. He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to programs that improve the lives of children, women, and vulnerable families in the state.
He acknowledged UNICEF’s long-standing support for the state’s growth. He said their partnership has lasted over 30 years, focusing on the well-being of children and women.
"For more than three decades, UNICEF has been an integral part of Jigawa State’s development journey. Since the creation of the state in 1991, this relationship has matured from programme assistance into a durable development partnership, defined by trust and a shared conviction that the progress of any society must be measured, in large part, by the condition of its children and women," the governor said.
Governor Namadi mentioned that this partnership has brought important improvements in health, nutrition, basic education, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), child protection, and social policy. He noted that these efforts align with the state’s development plan, the Greater Jigawa Vision, and his administration’s 12-Point Agenda.
He explained that the visit followed a recent North-West High-Level Policy Dialogue in Kano. This dialogue focused on "Reducing Multidimensional Poverty through Innovative Financing and Scaled Social Protection Systems," and was coordinated by UNICEF with the North-West Governors’ Forum.
The governor pointed out that the priorities from the dialogue match Jigawa State’s development goals. These include reducing multidimensional poverty, expanding child-sensitive social protection, improving child nutrition, getting out-of-school children back to school, enhancing early childhood education, and improving primary healthcare and sanitation.
He highlighted the state’s achievements, saying that the 2023, 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey showed major drops in moderate and severe malnutrition. He added that the state’s MASAKI Nutrition Programme has helped increase the number of children moving from moderate acute malnutrition to healthy status from about 19,000 to over 43,000 between 2024 and 2025. He also mentioned that Jigawa maintained its Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, which it achieved in 2023.
The governor also spoke about the impact of the state’s Back-to-School Initiative, which is helping many children return to school.
Reaffirming his commitment to these successes, the governor said the state will keep improving coordination among ministries and agencies. He also plans to work closely with partners to turn policy goals into real outcomes.
"Accordingly, we will continue to work with UNICEF and other partners to develop the institutional coordination and financial arrangements needed for the phased introduction of the Universal Child Grant under this initiative so that assistance is delivered with fairness, transparency, and sustainability," Governor Namadi stated.
Earlier, Mr Shafeeq Ur-Rehman praised Governor Namadi for his leadership. He recognized the administration’s effort to promote child development in Jigawa State. He added that several innovations from the state have become examples for other regions.
"Your leadership has ensured that some of the critical initiatives that Jigawa State has taken are now being replicated in other states across the country," he said.
He commended Jigawa for being Nigeria’s first Open Defecation Free (ODF) state and for starting the MASAKI community-led nutrition project, which other states are now following. He also acknowledged the state’s steady funding for nutrition programs. He noted that UNICEF and its global partners have matched this funding to continue tackling malnutrition.
Mr Shafeeq Ur-Rehman confirmed UNICEF’s dedication to strengthening its partnership with Jigawa State. He revealed that the organization is already working with the state to ensure that key issues affecting children are included in the next Government of Nigeria, UNICEF Country Programme (2028, 2032).
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇