Governors from Nigeria’s North-West region have reportedly pledged to implement concrete, time-bound measures aimed at reducing multidimensional poverty and improving the welfare of children and women across the region.

The commitment, according to the release made available to The Guardian yesterday by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), was made at the conclusion of a high-level policy dialogue in Kano, convened by the North-West Governors’ Forum, in collaboration with the office of the Vice President, the European Union, UNICEF and other development partners.

The two-day meeting, according to the statement, brought together state governors, Vice President Kashim Shettima, federal ministers, senior government officials, traditional and religious leaders, private sector representatives, youth groups and development partners to address the region’s persistent poverty challenges.

Home to an estimated 60 million people, the North-West region remains one of the country’s poorest, with children and women bearing the greatest burden.

Over half of school-age children are reportedly out of school, while many households continue to struggle with limited access to healthcare, quality education, nutrition, clean water, sanitation and stable sources of income.

Participants at the dialogue were said to have focused on practical strategies to strengthen social protection systems, expand access to essential services and secure sustainable financing for poverty reduction programmes, particularly for vulnerable populations affected by displacement and insecurity.

At the end of the meeting, the governors, according to the statement, adopted a communiqué committing the region to scaling up social protection programmes, including child-focused benefits, improving service delivery and increasing domestic funding for poverty alleviation initiatives. They also endorsed a roadmap and monitoring framework to track implementation and ensure accountability.

Vice President Shettima stressed the need for sustained leadership and collaboration, noting that the success of the initiative would ultimately be measured by its impact on families across the region.

Also, Chairman of the North-West Governors’ Forum and Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, represented by Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal, described the outcome as a significant shift from policy discussions to action.

On his part, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, emphasised the importance of adequate financing and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective implementation.

For the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, there is an urgent need to deliver results for children in the region, including expanding social protection, improving access to health and education, and prioritising the most vulnerable, to determine whether millions of children have the chance to survive, learn and thrive.