By Abbas Bamalli
The Children’s Parliament in Katsina, comprising 34 members, has called on the state government to provide funds for school feeding in the 2026 budget planning.
The parliament made the call on Thursday in Katsina, at a budgetary engagement with stakeholders to strengthen children’s participation in governance.
The demand was presented on behalf of the other members by the Speaker of the parliament, Fadila Sani, emphasising that it would increase school enrollment.
The other issues pressed by the parliament are the provision of school buses, potable water supply, electricity and security in public schools.
The meeting followed a directive by the Deputy Governor, Faruq Lawal-Jobe, when the parliament paid him a courtesy visit as the acting governor.
The speaker decried the lack of inclusion of children in decision-making, especially in areas like children’s participation in governance, protection, survival and education.
“As you are all aware, we the children, form the largest part of the population, yet our voices are sometimes left out in certain decisions that have to do with us.
“Today marks a very significant achievement in our lives because we are given a space not only to speak but to decide on what matters to us,” she said.
Alhaji Tijjani Umar, the Director of Social Protection at the state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said that the present administration was passionate about child development and was ready to include them in the 2026 budget preparation.
He noted that Gov. Dikko Radda was concerned with child development, emphasising that the 2026 budget should include a harmonised budget proposal for the Children.
Umar said, “As we in the ministry of budget prepare for the 2026 budget planning, the Children’s Parliament in the state will be a priority.
“This is necessary because the government is passionate about child development. We will collect all the harmonised issues raised by the Children’s Parliament for inclusion.”
Earlier, Hajiya Jamila Abdu-Mani, the Special Adviser to Radda, Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, said the engagement was a clear commitment of the governor to build a society where the voices of children were not only heard but also placed at the heart of decision making.
She told the children that their concerns, ideas and aspirations were vital in shaping policies that affected their education, protection and overall development.
“This platform provides you with the opportunity to engage directly with the government ministries and agencies and also our globe stakeholders,” she said.
The parliament was supported by Save the Children International (SCI), through the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) funded project.
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