The United Nations Children’s Fund on Tuesday announced that it will support the establishment of a family court in Kebbi to expedite justice at the grassroots level.

Michael Juma, UNICEF’s chief field officer in Sokoto, disclosed this at the End of the Year Review Meeting 2025 held in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.
The meeting was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Kebbi Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

The chief field officer assured that he had discussed with the Kebbi Commissioner for Justice the necessary steps to follow in establishing a court responsible for issues related to children.

“On the establishment of a family court, of course, yes, I have talked to the Commissioner of Justice on this, and I have said that it’s something the UNICEF will support. Because this is what the UNICEF is supporting globally, because it is a way to ensure quick justice at the rural levels,” he stated.

Speaking about the availability of adequate data on children, Mr Juma observed that correct information about the child population would enable the government and teachers to have accurate figures for planning, especially for adequate budgeting of their needs.

The chief field officer commended the Kebbi House of Assembly for passing the Child Protection Bill, stating that such a move would lead to the release of some children from detention. He added that it would also lessen the rigorous trials being faced by children and assist them in being reintegrated into the larger society.

Mr Juma lauded the state government for releasing the N500 million counterpart fund for nutrition, while declaring the readiness of UNICEF to continue collaborating with the state on poverty surveys, social protection, and nutrition interventions.

Commenting on the issue of out-of-school children and the cholera outbreak, the chief field officer stressed the urgent need for all stakeholders to collaborate towards eradicating the menace.

He advocated for a roadmap on the WASH programme to ensure that other local government areas join Arewa and Mayama LGAs in the fight against open defecation across the state.

The executive chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Kebbi, Suleiman Khalid, cautioned various organisations at the meeting to be careful when implementing policies that might conflict with the culture, religion, and traditions of the people. He stated that the menace of the out-of-school children and Almajiris was mainly caused by social-cultural and religious factors.

Mr Khalid decried how children and youths were migrating from villages to the urban centres in the name of seeking Islamic knowledge or in search of livelihoods.

(NAN)