![Governor Muhammad Badaru [PHOTO CREDIT: @SankaraJgh]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/02/EaTL_dUWAAAo6NV.jpg?fit=960%2C639&ssl=1)
The Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru, on Wednesday, assented to the Child Protection Bill and the state 2022 Appropriation Bill.
The two bills were assented to by the governor a day after they were passed by the state house of assembly.
The governor presented the appropriation bill to lawmakers on November 10.
The 2022 appropriation bill tagged, “Budget of Consolidation for Sustainable Economic Development” amounted to N177.7 billion.
Speaking at the ceremony at Government House, Dutse, Mr Badaru said that signing the two laws was a ”double pleasure and great progress made”.
“It’s a double pleasure to sign both the 2022 Appropriation Bill and the child protection law, this is a great milestone.
“We thank the speaker, the lawmakers for the remarkable progress. Laws were passed usually in February, sometimes at the middle of the year, but now we are passing laws in December and (will) start implementation on January 1,” Mr Badaru said.
On the child protection law, the governor said the law had been on the table for many years ”but that by God’s grace, it had been assented to today”.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the assembly passed the bill to protect children from abuse. It, however, said the legislation will not regulate the age of marriage for Muslim children.
This is coming a few weeks after stakeholders across Africa gathered in Niamey, Republic of Niger, to adopt measures aimed at reinforcing the already adopted protocols to protect African girls from abuse such as female genital mutilation and early child marriage.
The Jigawa law titled; “Child Protection Law,” defines a child as a person below the age of 18 and seeks to enhance the welfare of children in the state and maximise requisite care and protection for children.
The bill also seeks to offer higher protection to the vulnerable in society and raise the status bar of cherished societal norms and values.
With the enactment of the law, Jigawa has joined other states in the North-west region that had taken similar steps. The states are Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto.
Kano and Zamfara States are yet to do so.
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