The Sokoto State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are expanding the state's social register to include 250,000 new poor and vulnerable households. The move aims to better direct services and support to those most in need .
The expansion is one of the most ambitious social protection moves in the state in recent years . It uses a new multidimensional model to identify families lacking essential services. Officials described the exercise as crucial for producing a credible and transparent document for social protection programs .
State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Abubakar M. Zayyana, said the effort is aimed at reducing social injustice, exclusion, and insecurity. He said it will also improve human capital development . He reassured the public of the government's commitment to numerous social protection interventions.
"Positive change will be witnessed in the state’s multidimensional index," Dr. Zayyana said .
The new approach is designed to integrate the most deprived households into basic services. These services cover children's fundamental rights to education, nutrition, health, birth certificates, and access to water and sanitation . The register will serve as a single database of poor and vulnerable households and their deprivation status. It can be made available to any poverty intervention programme upon demand .
UNICEF's Social Policy Specialist, Isa Ibrahim, explained the model aims to integrate a multidimensional poverty perspective into the operations of the National Social Register. He said it will act as a gateway to health, nutrition, education, and social services through referral systems .
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, commended the state government and UNICEF for their efforts. He was represented by the district head of Gagi, Sani Umar-Jabbi. He noted these efforts are bridging gaps and harmonizing the social register for the benefit of all citizens .
This expansion occurs as a new UNICEF global report highlights the scale of child poverty. The "State of the World’s Children 2025" report shows that globally, 1 in 5 children in low- and middle-income countries are severely deprived in at least two areas crucial for their well-being . In Nigeria, a separate report found two out of every three children live in multidimensional poverty .
The Sokoto State Government has shown a recent focus on participatory and transparent governance. Just days before the social register announcement, the state held a Citizen's Town Hall Meeting on the proposed 2026 budget . The event was organized to let citizens and stakeholders share their views and priorities. It aimed to promote transparency and ensure the budget reflects the needs of the people .
Governor Ahmad Aliyu highlighted several commitments for the 2026 budget. These include replacing outdated machinery at the Sokoto State Water Board and renovating key facilities like Murtala Muhammad Hospital . He assured participants that all recommendations from citizens and partners would be considered in the final budget .
UNICEF's work in Sokoto extends far beyond social protection. Recent reports detail wide-ranging programs aimed at improving children's lives .
In healthcare, UNICEF provided free medical services to 18,000 households across Sokoto State. It also conducted an intensive immunization campaign that reached 1.5 million children in October alone . To tackle high newborn death rates, UNICEF supported a Special Newborn Care Unit at the Specialist Hospital in Sokoto. The unit has benefited over one million sick and low-birth-weight babies .
On nutrition, UNICEF has reached 3.4 million children in Sokoto with Vitamin A supplementation. Across communities, 285 children suffering severe acute malnutrition are receiving therapeutic food. They have a 95 percent recovery rate . Recently, the state government released one hundred million naira to support nutrition. UNICEF matched this amount, doubling the resources for high-impact nutrition supplies .
In education, Sokoto State, with UNICEF support, is addressing one of the highest rates of out-of-school children in the region. Currently, 915,000 children in Sokoto are benefiting from foundational literacy and numeracy programmes supported by UNICEF . Through community efforts, 215,000 out-of-school children have been identified and returned to classrooms . The same number use the Nigeria Learning Passport, an e-learning platform for hard-to-reach areas .
UNICEF has also supported the digital registration of 322,000 children in Sokoto State. This gives them a legal identity, which is a critical first step for accessing services and protection under the law .
Despite these gains, significant challenges remain. Michael Juma, UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer in Sokoto, said that zero-dose children, malnutrition, and out-of-school children are still major concerns . He said resources are not enough and called for stronger collaboration between government, development partners, and communities .
The push to expand the social register is a direct effort to close these gaps. By accurately identifying the poorest families, the government and its partners can better target their resources. This work takes place against a difficult global backdrop. Cuts in development aid threaten to reverse progress for children worldwide .
As UNICEF's global report states, progress is possible when ending child poverty is made a national priority . The partnership in Sokoto appears to be a step in that direction. It aims to weave a stronger safety net for the most vulnerable. The ultimate goal is to ensure every child has a chance to survive and thrive.