The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says no fewer than 946,000 children are out of formal school education system in Katsina State.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office Kano, Maulid Warfa made the disclosure on Wednesday in Katsina, during the 2019 end of year review meeting and 2020 states engagement planning workshop for Kano and Katsina States.
He noted that in Kano State, there are 1.49 million children are out of formal school system, which is the highest number in the country.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Isyaku Ahmed, said that the state government had earmarked N1 billion as counterpart funds for UNICEF activities for the 2020.
He said that the budget was now before the State House of Assembly for deliberation and subsequent approval.
Mr Ahmed said that the intervention areas were on education, health, nutrition as well as water and sanitation.
He revealed that the state government had allocated N123.7 million to health sector while nutrition, education, water and sanitation sectors were allocated N432 million, N86 million and N400 million respectively.
