The United Nations Children’s Fund has said that Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States will need $15 million to upscale the quality of life of their citizenry.
The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Christian Munduate, said this at a news briefing in Gusau on Wednesday shortly after holding an interactive session with stakeholders from Gidanwada Model Primary School in Bungudu Local Government Area.
Munduate said that the governors of the three states needed to provide matching grants to address the socioeconomic challenges and provide a quality life for their citizens.
She regretted the prevalence of malnourished children and nursing mothers in the three states.
Munduate identified open defecation as a major cause of diseases capable of reversing the polio epidemic in the states.
According to her, children, mothers, and other Nigerians deserve quality education, healthcare and nutrition, among other critical needs.
Munduate urged the three states to collaborate with partners and stakeholders to tackle the challenges and improve the living conditions of their people.
She further solicited a strong partnership with all the stakeholders to address the needs of children, mothers and the entire people of the three states and other Nigerians.
Munduate said that available record shows that there were at least 5.5 million severe and acutely malnourished children in Northern Nigeria.
She further disclosed that no fewer than 40 million Nigerians practice open defecation, which constitutes a major cause of disease outbreaks.
UNICEF, she said, had supported 50 Primary Healthcare Centers in collaboration with the Federal and Zamfara Governments.
All the PHCs are functional. We believe that they can maintain them to serve the people’s needs
We will be around to provide technical support to ensure sustainability,” Munduate said.
