The Kaduna State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is stepping up initiatives to expand access to quality education and healthcare for women and children, particularly in remote areas of the state.
UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafa Abdelatef, during a field monitoring visit on Tuesday in Kaduna, reviewed ongoing programmes aimed at strengthening learning outcomes and healthcare delivery across selected communities.
The visit started at Government Secondary School, Mararaban Jos — a facility supported by Fifth Chukker Polo Club and upgraded through a collaboration with Access Bank and UNICEF.
The renovated school now offers a safer and more enabling environment for students.
The team also inspected a pilot Integrated Qur’anic Education Programme in Karofi, Zangon-Aya, located in Igabi Local Government Area (LGA).
This programme focuses on almajiris and out-of-school children, providing them with basic literacy and numeracy education alongside religious studies.
Abdelatef commended the achievements recorded so far, noting that the children were benefiting from both academic and religious instruction.
She underscored the need to prioritise not only school attendance but also the quality of learning provided.
According to her, pupils now attend classes three times weekly, receiving culturally relevant lessons in literacy and numeracy, while UNICEF continues to work closely with the government and local communities to sustain the progress made.
The delegation later observed an integrated mobile outreach initiative at Tudun Kasa, Wuchichiri Ward, Zaria LGA, where health professionals delivered vital services such as immunisation, antenatal care, nutrition support, and disease screening.
Abdelatef expressed satisfaction with the turnout of women and children, noting that the outreach was helping to reduce malnutrition and improve survival rates.
She added that vaccination rates were on the rise and praised the Kaduna State Government for investing in therapeutic foods and other life-saving supplies for children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Reaffirming UNICEF’s commitment, she assured that the organisation would continue to assist Kaduna State in enhancing education, healthcare, and nutrition so that every child can thrive.
Dr. Abubakar Idris, Director of Public Health at the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, explained that the mobile outreach initiative was developed to deliver comprehensive healthcare to distant communities.
He said the programme includes immunisation, nutrition counselling, antenatal services, and screening for diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, alongside demonstrations on preparing nutritious local meals.
Idris further mentioned that 255 primary health centres and 15 secondary health facilities had been renovated across the state to reinforce healthcare delivery and sustain the outreach services.
He added that the state devoted 16 per cent of its 2025 budget to health—surpassing the Abuja Declaration target—and co-funded nutrition commodities with UNICEF.
At Zangon-Aya, community leader Abdulrasheed Suleiman praised UNICEF’s intervention, noting that the support has revitalised a 50-year-old Qur’anic school by integrating formal learning, keeping children meaningfully engaged and academically improved.
Similarly, Head of the Qur’anic school, Yakubu Zakari-Yau, lauded both the state government and UNICEF for introducing foundational learning that enables pupils to read and write with confidence, thereby harmonising religious and basic education.
At Tudun Kasa, Wuchichiri, Village Head Abubakar Ibrahim appreciated the collaboration for bringing essential health services closer to the people, saying it would significantly reduce child mortality and improve maternal health outcomes.
The monitoring visit also included key UNICEF officials such as Nemat Hajeebhoy, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF Nigeria, and Gerida Birukila, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, who reiterated the organisation’s dedication to advancing child welfare across the state.