UNICEF, Kaduna Government Reaffirm Commitment to Reaching Hard-to-Reach Communities with Life-Saving Services
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, has commended the Kaduna State Government for its strong commitment to improving child health, nutrition, and education, even as she highlighted the need to reach every child with essential services — especially those in hard-to-reach communities.
Ms. Saeed stated this during a field monitoring visit to Kaduna State, where she and her team assessed ongoing UNICEF-supported interventions in education, nutrition, and healthcare delivery.
The visit covered Mararaban Jos, Zango-Aya in Igabi LGA, and Tudun Kasa in Zaria LGA.
At Government School, Mararaban Jos, which was upgraded through a partnership between UNICEF, Access Bank, and Fifth Chukker Polo Club, the Country Representative expressed delight over the improved learning environment and urged for sustained investment in education infrastructure.
The team then visited Zango-Aya Qur’anic School in Igabi LGA, one of the pilot sites for the Integrated Qur’anic Education Programme, designed to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy among Almajiris and out-of-school children.
While commending the progress made, Ms. Saeed emphasized the importance of quality alongside access.
“We are pleased with the enthusiasm of the children and teachers here. The goal is not just to bring children into classrooms but to ensure that they receive quality learning that prepares them for a better future,” she said.
She also noted that many children in these settings are from vulnerable backgrounds, orphans or children whose parents cannot afford formal education and reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to supporting inclusive learning opportunities.
Yakubu Zakari-Yau, Head of the Qur’anic School, acknowledged the transformation that UNICEF’s support has brought.
“Before UNICEF’s intervention, most of our pupils could not read or write. Today, they can understand basic literacy and numeracy. The physical structure and learning environment have also improved significantly,” he said.
However, he appealed for more teaching materials and continued teacher training to sustain the progress.
In Zaria LGA, the team visited Tudun Kasa in Wuchichiri Ward, where an integrated mobile health outreach was underway.
The outreach provides multiple services including immunization, antenatal care, nutrition counseling, birth registration, and tuberculosis screening, targeting communities with limited access to healthcare.
Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Director of Public Health at the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, explained that the outreach is part of efforts to close health gaps in underserved areas.
“We deliberately selected Wuchichiri because it is a hard-to-reach area.
“The idea is to take healthcare services to people who would otherwise have no access. We are offering immunization, antenatal care, and screening for diseases such as malaria and TB,” he said.
Dr. Sadiq noted that malnutrition remains a major concern despite the community’s strong agricultural base.
“This is an agrarian community they produce maize, beans, and vegetables yet many children are malnourished due to poor dietary practices, not food scarcity,” he observed.
“That is why we are teaching caregivers how to prepare nutritious meals from what they already have,” he explained.
He commended the Kaduna State Government for prioritizing health financing and infrastructure.
“The state allocated 16% of its budget to health this year above the Abuja Declaration target of 15%. It has renovated 255 primary healthcare centers and upgraded 15 secondary facilities.
“Also, through a co-financing arrangement with UNICEF, the state contributed ₦400 million, which UNICEF matched, to procure Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and other nutrition supplies,” he said.
While lauding the government’s investment, Ms. Saeed called for continued attention to the needs of the most vulnerable.
“I’m encouraged by the large turnout of women and children here today,” she said. “Many are receiving vaccines for the first time. Vaccines are simple, low-cost, and life-saving, we must ensure that no child is left behind.”
The Village Head of Tudun Kasa, Abubakar Ibrahim, expressed deep appreciation to UNICEF and the government for bringing essential services to his community.
“We are very happy about this outreach. It has taught us a lot, and our people now understand better how to care for their children.
We thank UNICEF and the state government for remembering us,” he said.
The field visit, which included Nemat Hajeebhoy, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF Nigeria, and Gerida Birukila, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, highlighted both the progress and ongoing challenges in improving access to basic services across Kaduna State.
The officials collectively underscored the need to sustain investments in health, nutrition, and education, particularly for marginalized and hard-to-reach communities, to ensure that no child is left behind.
