Govs Move To Tackle Multidimensional Poverty In N’West
The North-West Governors’ Forum has moved to reduce multidimensional poverty in the region through scaled-up social protection systems and innovative financing.
At a summit in Kano, the group said the multidimensional poverty rate of 75.8 per cent compared to the national average of 63.0 per cent, representing approximately 45.9 million people living in multiple deprivations in the region.
According to the governors, for children bear the greatest burden of deprivation through poor access to education, healthcare, nutrition and social protection services.
They acknowledged the efforts of Federal and State Governments, Development Partners, humanitarian agencies and other stakeholders in implementing interventions in education, healthcare, nutrition and social protection.
“However, we observed that the scale of deprivation continues to exceed existing programme coverage, leaving millions of vulnerable children unreached,” the group said.
The governors recognised that the Renewed Hope Child Support Programme, anchored on the Universal Child Benefit concept, provides a practical and scalable platform for identifying vulnerable children and systematically linking them to existing education, healthcare, nutrition and social protection services.
The leaders further recognised that strengthening social protection systems, mobilising sustainable financing and improving coordination among stakeholders are critical to reducing multidimensional child poverty and improving human capi-tal outcomes across the region.
Reading a communiqué issued at the North West High Level Policy Dialogue on Reducing Multidimensional Poverty, the Chairman of the Forum and the Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Rada, said all governors must join forces with the Federal Government, Development Partners, finance institutions, traditional and religious institutions, as well as civil society organisations and the private sector to reducing multidimensional poverty and accelerate human capital development across the North West.