David Awoyode
The Katsina State Government has pledged to actively involve children in major decision-making processes, particularly on matters concerning their welfare and development.
Deputy Governor Alhaji Faruq Lawal-Jobe made the commitment on Friday while hosting members of the state’s Children’s Parliament.
Call for Direct Engagement in Policy Planning
Lawal-Jobe announced plans to instruct the Commissioners for Youth, Women Affairs, and the Special Adviser on Girl-Child Education to meet with the young parliamentarians. Representatives from the Ministry of Budget and the Coordinator of the state’s Community Development Programme (CDP) will also join the discussions.
“This engagement is timely as we are in the process of preparing the 2026 budget,” he stated, noting that since community consultations were held across all 361 wards, it was only fair to include children’s perspectives as well.
Focus on Education and Awareness
The Deputy Governor urged the Children’s Parliament to raise awareness among their peers about the importance of school enrollment to improve education access across the state.
Children’s Parliament Applauds Initiatives
Speaker of the Children’s Parliament, Fadila Sani, commended the state for establishing Sexual Assault Referral Centres, Gender-Based Violence centres, and a Child Rights Implementation Committee.
She called for stronger enforcement of child protection laws, effective implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, and increased budgetary allocations for children’s programmes.
