UNICEF Commends Bauchi State’s Commitments to Children’s Welfare
The newly appointed UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Wafaa Saeed Abdullatif, has pledged stronger collaboration with Bauchi State Government to improve the welfare of children and families in the state.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy visit to Governor Bala Mohammed at the Government House Bauchi, Mrs. Abdullatif said UNICEF’s mandate is to ensure that every child gets the best start in life through access to immunization, nutrition, education, protection from violence among others.
She commended Bauchi State Government for prioritizing child development, particularly for committing resources to Child Nutrition Fund, which she described as a model for Nigeria and beyond.
She also noted the state’s focus on tackling out-of-school children, stressing that education remains key to reducing child challenges, improving health, and securing a better future for the next generation.
Responding, Governor Bala Mohammed described the visit as a testimony of development partners’ trust in his administration and highlighted the positive collaboration with UNICEF since coming onboard in 2019 in areas such as immunization, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, and maternal and child healthcare.
He disclosed that the state government has released ₦872 million as counterpart funding for the 2025 Primary Healthcare MOU, in addition to ₦100 million already provided for nutrition, with another ₦200 million recently added.
Governor Bala Mohammed listed other interventions in the health sector, to include, the construction of Primary Healthcare Centres, renovation of general hospitals, recruitment of health workers and doctors, as well as the introduction of a new salary structure for health workers to ensure retention.
The Governor then assured UNICEF of his administration’s continued commitment to education, health, and social services, describing UNICEF’s partnership as vital in aligning Bauchi with global best practices.
