The growing number of impoverished children in Nigeria has alarmed the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Over 47 million Nigerian children, or roughly 47.4% of the country’s child population, are estimated to be living in poverty, according to UNICEF’s 2020 Multidimensional Child Poverty Analysis report.

At a strategic policy dialogue on social budgeting for child-sensitive sectors in Gombe State on Wednesday, the speaker

According to Mohammed Kamfut, the UNICEF Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, these kids live in families with yearly incomes below the N137,430 national poverty threshold.

According to Kamfut, the research emphasises the extreme financial difficulties that millions of Nigerian families are experiencing, which disproportionately affect the country’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.

UNICEF, through Kamfut, reaffirmed its commitment to advance children’s rights by ensuring they have the resources essential to survive, grow, and thrive. The organisation called for quick action to address the rising child poverty problem, particularly in the country’s northeast.

He cited the Convention on the Rights of the Child in pointing out that although there has been a reduction in poverty since the MDGs were adopted, millions of children around the world are still caught in a cycle of poverty.

Speaking on behalf of UNICEF’s social policy specialist for the Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Yusuf Auta, Kamfut stated that the organisation recognised the noteworthy advancements made in bettering the living situations of children since the MDGs’ introduction.

He bemoaned, however, the fact that a large number of the world’s poorest children are still being left behind, claiming that poverty violates children’s human rights and feeds an unending cycle of deprivation.

“Continuous communication is crucial in promoting heightened governmental backing for child welfare endeavours,” he declared.

The UN agency committed to pushing for better financing and budgeting for child-responsive initiatives in order to fully realise children’s rights.

According to UNICEF, these initiatives will aid in reducing poverty, which is a significant obstacle to realising everyone’s rights.

If we put in a concentrated effort, Kamfut said, “I am hopeful that we will achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ending preventable child deaths, ensuring quality basic education for all children, and protecting children from violence.”