Nigeria lagging behind in achieving MDGs

UNICEF says Nigeria lagging behind in achieving MDGs



LAGOS (Xinhua)-- The UN Children's Fund UNICEF has rated Nigeria low in its effort in attaining its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a report by the UNICEF office in Nigeria received here on Wednesday.


The report said Nigeria had not made sufficient progress in the attainment of most of the targets of the MDGs set by the UN to eradicate poverty, reduce child and maternal mortality, fight disease and achieve environmental sustainability by 2015.

The UNICEF report indicated that Nigeria had a 29 percent prevalence of underweight children in 2006 and an annual reduction rate of only 2.2 percent.

UNICEF said though Nigeria recorded 68 percent net school enrolment, there was still no progress towards the MDG target, on the achievement of the Universal Basic Education.

It said Nigeria had a 0.89 percent gender parity index, with 72 percent male net enrolment to 64 percent in female, on the elimination of gender disparity in primary education, according to Unicef.