From Saka Bolaji, Minna
United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has said that over 20% of the world’s out-o- school children representing 10.5 million are in Nigeria hence one out of five in the country.
The Programme and Planning Specialist UNICEF, Abuja, Nawshad Ahmed, disclosed yesterday in Minna at Niger state 2017 mid-year review and planning with UNICEF.
He therefore called on governments to gear efforts to attracting citizens acquire education by ways of encouragement through school feeding and scholarship.
Ahmed stated that out of 46 million Nigerians 25% defecate in the open and 33 million of them in the rural areas with the highest of the number in the North.
He added that one in every three Nigerian does not drink safe water and in 2025 out of the 25 local governments in Niger State none has wide plan to end open defecation neither wash department.
He further charged for improved basic education in the country and explained that one out of every five children under five years old is underweight and stunted, majority of them in the rural areas. One out of every three children under five years old is also stunted.
UNICEF in its research revealed that nutrition in Niger State is 09% between children of 6 – 59 months with underweight children between 25 – 35%. However, in 2017 hundred of 274 PHC will be upgraded, equipped, manned and fully functional to provide 24/7 PHC services.
He urged countries especially developing ones that received donation to collaborate with donors to plan better in terms of review and monitoring of progress so as to plan properly for the future.
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