Governors in Nigeria’s North-West region have agreed on a sweeping set of time-bound reforms aimed at tackling child poverty and strengthening social protection systems, following a high-level policy dialogue that brought together top government officials, development partners and community stakeholders in Kano.

The two-day engagement, convened by the North-West Governors’ Forum in partnership with the Office of the Vice President, the European Union and UNICEF, marked one of the most coordinated regional efforts in recent years to confront multidimensional poverty affecting millions across the zone. Participants included governors, federal ministers, traditional rulers, youth representatives and private sector actors.

With an estimated population of about 60 million people, the North-West remains one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable regions, where overlapping challenges in education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and income insecurity continue to disproportionately affect children and women. Officials noted that more than half of children in parts of the region remain out of school, underscoring the urgency of intervention.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the governors adopted a joint communiqué committing to expand child-focused social protection programmes, strengthen basic service delivery systems, and increase domestic financing for poverty reduction initiatives. The region also endorsed a monitoring and accountability framework designed to track implementation across states.

Chairman of the North-West Governors’ Forum, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, represented at the event by his deputy, described the outcome as a decisive shift from policy intent to measurable action, saying the region now has “clear priorities and responsibilities” to guide investments in human capital, particularly children.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, addressing the forum, stressed that the true success of the initiative would be measured by tangible improvements in the lives of families, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to support subnational efforts aimed at reducing poverty and inequality.

Speaking on financing and accountability, the European Union’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, urged sustained investment and transparency to ensure that resources reach the most vulnerable, while UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, warned that urgent action is critical if millions of children in the region are to access education, healthcare and protection services.

The initiative, backed by UNICEF and the European Union, is expected to strengthen collaboration across states in the North-West Governors’ Forum and accelerate reforms aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty and insecurity in the region.

UNICEF reiterated its commitment to continue supporting implementation efforts across Nigeria, emphasizing that sustained political will and coordinated financing will be key to translating commitments into lasting improvements for children and families across the North-West. (Arise News)

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