Nigerian children still face severe deprivations in spite of progress — UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday unveiled the Nigerian Child 2025 Report, showing that in spite of progress in health, birth registration and humanitarian support, millions of Nigerian children continue to face severe deprivations.

Launching the report in Kano as part of activities marking World Children’s Day, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Mr Rahama Farah, said under-five deaths have dropped by 43 per cent since 1990, while full immunisation coverage has tripled since 2003.

He said birth registration was rising and more than 1.3 million people in humanitarian settings accessed health services in the first half of 2025.

Farah, however, stated that the gains were threatened by deepening vulnerabilities, especially in the North-West where malnutrition rates remain among the highest globally.

He said rural children were still far less likely to receive basic vaccines, while one in nine children in Nigeria dies before age five.

According to the report, two in five children under five are stunted, while poverty, insecurity and weak learning conditions keep millions out-of-school.

Farah said Kano, Katsina and Jigawa accounted for 16 per cent of Nigeria’s 10.2 million out-of-school children.

He listed ongoing interventions, including the Masaki nutrition model in Jigawa, Katsina’s over N1 billion commitment to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and nutrition budget allocations by all Katsina LGAs.

Farah said Katsina had attained Open Defecation Free status, while Kano and Jigawa are implementing projects to strengthen immunisation, upgrade health facilities and expand digital learning through the Nigeria Learning Passport.

He urged the media to amplify the report’s findings, saying UNICEF remains committed to ensuring that every Nigerian child survives, learns and thrives.