Child Poverty in Nigeria: A focus on SDG 1 and UNICEF's Impact

Have you heard about the SDGs? If you don’t know what they are, get ready because in this article I’m going to be explaining the SDGs and how each of them relates to children living in Nigeria.

SDG means Sustainable Development Goals and we have 17 of them which were adopted by all United Nation Member States in 2015. These goals were created with the aim of peace and prosperity for people and the planet while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are:

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-Being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life on Land
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships

Now that we know what the SDGs are, let’s take a look at the first SDG - No Poverty and how it  relates to children living in Nigeria.

According to the 2018/19 monetary poverty line, 40.1% of the Nigerian population is poor, and while poverty affects all demographic groups in the population, its effects are most profound among children, who constitute an estimated 48.82% of the total population in Nigeria as of 2019.

Children are most vulnerable to experiencing poverty because unlike adults, children cannot engage in income generating activities and they mostly depend on their parents/guardians for the basic necessities of life.

In Nigeria, approximately 54% of the children are multidimensionally poor by facing at least three deprivations across seven dimensions of child rights, including nutrition, healthcare, education, water, sanitation, adequate housing, and information.

These numbers might just seem like figures to you. Still, to these children, it means malnourishment, susceptibility to diseases, being out-of-school, homelessness, being forced into child labour, sex trafficking and early child marriage, amongst many other vices.

What does poverty mean to Children?

Most times, when the word ‘poverty’ is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is lack of money, but for children, poverty isn’t just about having less/no money. It’s about facing challenges from the very beginning, it’s about missing out on the things they need to grow strong and healthy, it’s about being confused because they don’t have the answers, it’s about not dreaming big because opportunities seem so far off. It’s like starting a race from behind, but they haven’t even taken the first step yet.

Did you know that worldwide, the poorest children are twice as likely to die in childhood than their wealthier peers? This means that these children living in poverty have reduced life expectancy, and most of them don’t even make it to adulthood.

It is said that children are the future, but if 1 in 7 children live in poverty, what future then is being spoken of?

What is UNICEF Nigeria doing to eradicate Child Poverty?

 Through several initiatives, projects and campaigns, UNICEF Nigeria is constantly working with the government to ensure every child has access to shelter, good nutrition, clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. Amongst other initiatives are the following:

• Partnership with The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG)

  In 2023, UNICEF Nigeria partnered with NESG to review social sector policies and implement accountability measures at the presidential level for reporting and feedback on child rights and poverty in Nigeria. Read more:

   

• Supporting systems that reduce poverty and provide access to quality health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education and protection services. Read more:

   

• Partnering with other United Nations agencies, government partners, civil society organizations and NGOs using child-sensitive programming to reduce vulnerabilities, among many others.

   

  For more information, kindly visit UNICEF Nigeria's website.

   

  The famous Civil Rights Activist Mahatma Gandhi stated, “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.” With this knowledge, what role will you play in building a future without child poverty?
  
   Thank you for reading, and let’s build this future together!