By Our Correspondent
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on Jigawa State Government to pilot the signing of Universal Child Benefits (UCB) agreements to reduce child poverty indices in the state.
Social Policy Specialist at UNICEF’s Kano Field Office,
Fatima Musa Muhammad commended Kano and Katsina states for signing and identifying the importance of UCB as a complementing intervention to reduce child poverty.
Speaking at a two-day workshop in Kaduna, Fatima emphasized the need for Jigawa State to follow suit, highlighting the benefits of UCB, including small cash grants to help parents and caregivers cover the costs of bringing up children.
She noted that UCB is a cash transfer, universal for all children, unconditional, and paid on a regular basis, designed to reach households with children.
Fatima also highlighted the rewards associated with investing in UCB, citing the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2022, which provides insightful information on deprivation levels experienced by people up to senatorial districts.
Hotpen reports that, the workshop aimed to strengthen the analysis of child poverty measurement for stakeholders from Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa States.
