Multidimensional Child Welfare in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Poverty, Survival, Education and Protection in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Despite the current policy programs to improve the health, education, protection and overall well-being of children, child welfare remains a serious developmental challenge in Nigeria. While previous research has largely examined these features in isolation, the extent to which they interact in subnational contexts has been overlooked. This study examines the interlinked dimensions of child welfare in Kaduna State, Nigeria, with particular focus on poverty, survival, education and protection within a multidimensional and rights-based analytical framework. The study explores the interaction of economic, social, institutional, and cultural factors in determining children’s welfare outcomes, drawing on Child Rights Theory, the Capability Approach, the Social Determinants of Health Framework, and Ecological Systems Theory. The research is a mixed-methods secondary design, relying primarily on the Kaduna State Situation Analysis of Children (2020), supplemented by data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, the National Bureau of Statistics, UNICEF, UNESCO and other national and international sources. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive, comparative and trend analyses, while qualitative evidence was analysed thematically. The findings show that childcare concerns in Kaduna State are complicated and intertwined. Poverty was the most important structural determinant predicting health outcomes, educational participation, nutritional status and risk of child protection threats. While there has been recorded progress in vaccine coverage and investment in education and child safety, considerable disparities still exist by gender, socioeconomic level, and rural-urban divide. The analysis suggests that legislative and policy reforms have had limited success due to unresolved institutional constraints, social norms, and economic deficiencies. The research contributes to the current literature by integrating poverty, survival, education, and protection into a cohesive analytical framework and by providing a comprehensive subnational evaluation of child welfare in Kaduna State. Sustainable progress in child well-being requires comprehensive, multisectoral and rights-based initiatives that confront the structural drivers of deprivation.