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Tag: UNICEF

  • IHS Nigeria and UNICEF: An enduring and impactful partnership

    IHS Nigeria and UNICEF: An enduring and impactful partnership

    IHS Towers is a leader in communications infrastructure, but its impact in Nigeria extends far beyond supporting mobile connectivity. Through a strategic partnership with UNICEF that began in 2019, IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Towers group, is making a significant and measurable difference in the lives of Nigerians, particularly in the crucial areas of education, healthcare, and community development. This collaboration transcends mere business operations, demonstrating a deep-seated commitment to the nation.

    School to School Connectivity Project, Sokoto State

    Bridging the digital divide: Empowering schools and students

    One of the most impactful initiatives is the School-to-School Connectivity project, launched in 2022 by UNICEF. As a collaborator in this project, IHS Nigeria is on a mission to help bridge the digital divide in education by providing internet connectivity to over 400 public secondary schools and donating more than 200 mini-tablets to schools across underserved communities.

    Unlocking new learning resources is key, and through this project, students gain exposure to online educational materials, interactive learning platforms, and valuable digital tools. This complements the Nigeria Learning Passport, a vital online and offline curriculum application currently reaching approximately 1 million users, designed by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.

    Saving lives: A multi-pronged approach to Covid-19

    At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, IHS Nigeria played a vital role in supporting national response efforts. Their contributions included:

    • Essential supplies: In collaboration with the European Union and APM Terminals, IHS Nigeria co-financed the acquisition and delivery of 10,000 test kits, 15 oxygen concentrators, personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccines, and other vital health supplies to support the Nigerian government through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This comprehensive approach helped address critical needs for testing, treating, and protecting frontline healthcare workers.

    • Expanded testing capacity: Recognizing the importance of widespread testing, IHS Nigeria further collaborated with UNICEF to supply over 130,000 test kits. This significantly increased testing capacity, facilitating the early detection and isolation of cases to help curb the spread of the virus.

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    Oxygen Security Project, Ogun State

    Strengthening healthcare through an oxygen security project

    Nigeria faces a continued challenge in the availability of medical oxygen, and to help address this, IHS Nigeria is an active partner of UNICEF Nigeria’s Oxygen Security Project. Launched in 2022, this project is supporting the Federal Ministry of Health and has seen the construction of nine Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants across the following states: Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, and Rivers. These plants aim to ensure a reliable supply of medical oxygen, impacting healthcare facilities’ ability to provide life-saving treatment.

    Recognising the importance of skilled personnel, the project has also trained over 1,445 frontline healthcare workers in oxygen management. This comprehensive approach ensures not only the availability of oxygen but also the proper knowledge and expertise to utilise it effectively, ultimately saving lives and improving healthcare outcomes for countless Nigerians. As an example, the plants installed at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, are designed to target a population of around 1.6 million with an average weekly utilisation volume of approximately 4,000 litres

    Oxygen Security Project, Oyo State

    Empowering communities: Child-Friendly Community Initiative (CFCI)

    Collaboration between IHS Nigeria and UNICEF has extended beyond schools and hospitals and into the broader community. Between 2019 and 2022, the Child-Friendly Community Initiative (CFCI) brought together local stakeholders, including community leaders, youth groups, and women’s organisations. Piloted in Lagos, Bauchi, and Cross River States, CFCI served as a model for community-driven development.

    CFCI aimed to empower local communities and community leaders to own and drive the delivery of integrated child-centric social services including education, health, and nutrition. The initiative has successfully established elements of decentralised planning and resource management to address child deprivation.

    Furthermore, the project used Digital Community Information Systems (DCIS) which collected real-time data on various child-related issues to guide local decision-making. Using this data, communities were able to target resources effectively, ensuring interventions were aligned to specific, local needs. This data-driven approach fostered greater efficiency and maximized the impact of available resources on the well-being of children.

    A global commitment: Partnering with GIGA to map school connectivity

    Furthermore, IHS Towers has taken a global approach to bridging the digital divide in education. It is a key partner in Giga, a global initiative launched by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that aims to map and connect every school in the world to the Internet by 2030. Alongside a $4.5 million investment, IHS Towers is providing vital tower data, including for its Nigerian operations, to help Giga create a comprehensive map of internet connectivity. This data is crucial for identifying areas with critical gaps in infrastructure, paving the way for targeted interventions, and ensuring no child is left behind in the digital age.

    “I am immensely grateful for the robust partnership between UNICEF and IHS Nigeria, which has contributed to significant results for children. Our collaborative projects, including the critical oxygen support program, comprehensive COVID-19 interventions, enhancing school connectivity, and the Child-Friendly Communities Initiative (CFCI), have all been pivotal in advancing our mission. Together, we are making substantial strides towards sustainable development and a brighter future for all,” Ms Cristian Munduate, Representative, UNICEF Nigeria

    The IHS Nigeria and UNICEF partnership transcends individual projects, presenting a successful model for public-private collaboration. By combining resources and expertise, they are achieving tangible results in education, healthcare, and community development. This successful model demonstrates the power of collaboration between the private sector and international organisations.

    “At IHS Nigeria, we strive to deliver a long-term positive impact across our local communities. Through strategic sustainability partnerships, we continue to contribute to Nigeria’s socio-economic development, with a strong focus on education, healthcare, and community empowerment. We take great pride in collaborating with UNICEF Nigeria and remain committed to fostering a brighter future for Nigeria,” Mohamad Darwish, CEO of IHS Nigeria.

  • UNICEF lauds Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to exclusive breastfeeding

    UNICEF lauds Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to exclusive breastfeeding

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has lauded the administration of President Bola Tinubu for improving exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria to ensure the optimal health of infants in the country.

    In her goodwill message during the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week Flag-off and World Breastfeeding Record Initiative, UNICEF Country Representative, Cristian Munduate commended the Nigerian government for creating an enabling environment for lactating mothers in the country to breastfeed their babies.

    This year’s event was very unique as 30,000 lactating women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as selected Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, breastfed their babies simultaneously in which Nigeria beaks the world record for the most lactating women, exceeding the current record of 21,000 attempted by the Philippines in 2013.

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    Munduate called on all stakeholders in Nigeria to come together to close the gap in breastfeeding inequalities by supporting breastfeeding mothers across the country to practice exclusive breastfeeding. She harped on the need to empower mothers with the knowledge and support they need to make the best choices for their children’s health.

    She noted that even though breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong health and well-being among other proven benefits, rates of early, exclusive, and continued breastfeeding in Nigeria remain low as a result of cultural, social, and practical barriers.

  • UNICEF partners S’west States to tackle out-of-school menace

    UNICEF partners S’west States to tackle out-of-school menace

    United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and six southwestern States have forged a strong partnerships to tackle the menace of the out of school in the region.

    UNICEF and the State Governments made the commitment in Ibadan, Oyo state capital during a two-day regional stakeholders’ meeting on Out-of-School Children and Retention, Transition and Completion Model for Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Osun, Oyo and Ogun States.

    Speaking at the event, UNICEF Chief of Lagos Field Office, Mohammed Okorie, said that the stakeholders meeting was borne out of the agency’s commitment to ensure children have free access to quality education. 

    He said that the dialogue was aimed at bringing together key stakeholders from across the southwest states to discuss interventions, identify key performance indicators, as well as develop strategic home grown action plans to mitigate the challenge of out-of-school children in the region.

    Okorie said the issue of out of  school children and low retention, transition and completion in education has become an albatross on the neck of the region that must be urgently addressed. 

    This, he, said required that the six states’ governments to develop and implement targeted intervention programmes that would address all the factors militating against free access to quality and basic education. 

    The UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti stressed the urgent need for the states to adopt retention, transition and completion models to tackle the menace of the out of school in the region. 

    Read Also: UNICEF calls for multiple learning pathways to address growing out-of-school population

    She noted that reduction in the rate of the out of school children and retention, transition and completion are achievable should the governments expand access to secondary education,  enhance quality learning and strengthen support systems through the implementation of workable policy, budgeting and set up plans. 

    Menkiti who advocated for more funding to be allocated to the education sector, especially secondary education, urging the governments to stop treating it as a second fiddle to the advantage of basic and tertiary education.

    She said increased budgetary allocation for secondary education would not only significantly reposition the sector, which had suffered neglect in terms of critical infrastructures, equipment, low quality of teachers, leading to the alarming rate of the out of school children. 

    Corroborating Menkiti’s submission, Mr Babagana Aminu,an education specialist in UNICEF said that retention of school children had been one of the challenges  in the zone.

    He said that strategic efforts must be geared towards creating a sustainable solutions to ensure that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to complete their education and assimilating the adolescents that dropped out into the formal education.

    He said: “In terms of being out of school in the Southwest, almost on average, putting all six states together according to the multiple cluster indicator survey that was conducted by NBS, it shows that about 8 percent of children are out of school.

    “But that is not the most worrisome data, if I must say, concerning the southwest, most of the worrisome data has to do with retention, that is, retaining those children that must have enrolled in school, but not only retaining them; are they completing the level of education that they have enrolled in?

    “What I mean is that the completion of primary school children when they are in junior secondary school and, as well, when they transit to senior secondary school, how well are they transiting? Lots of children that enter primary school may not have the opportunity to complete junior secondary school, and that means the future for them is still blurry. So where are these children? That means if they are not in school, they are out of school”, he added.

    The event was attended by the six states’ Commissioners for Education, Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), religious leaders, and top civil servants. 

  • UNICEF calls for multiple learning pathways to address growing out-of-school population

    UNICEF calls for multiple learning pathways to address growing out-of-school population

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has emphasised the need for Nigeria to develop multiple education systems or learning pathways to address the increasing number of out-of-school children, which varies across different regions for various reasons.

    This call for action comes in light of the nation’s education system, which is grappling with a significant and growing out-of-school population—10.2 million at the primary school level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level.

    It added that the severe consequences of this issue, especially in Southwest Nigeria, must be addressed urgently.

    UNICEF’s education specialist, Babagana Aminu, made this appeal during a two-day regional stakeholder meeting on out-of-school children and models for retention, transition, and completion in Southwestern Nigeria.

    The stakeholders meeting, held in Ibadan, Oyo State’s capital, was attended by Education Commissioners, Chairmen of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), religious leaders, and senior civil servants.

    Speaking, Aminu, who quoted the multiple cluster indicator survey, which was conducted by NBS, said that in all six southwestern states of Nigeria, about 8 percent of children aged six to 16 years are out of school.

    He said: “But that is not the most worrisome data, if I may say, concerning the Southwestern state. Most of the worrisome data has to do with retention that is, retaining those children that must have enrolled in school.

    “Also, they are completing the level of education that they have enrolled in. And as well, when they transit to senior secondary school, how well are they transiting?

    “Data shows about 92 percent and 85 percent of those children that are completing primary and upper secondary education. That is worrisome. That means a lot of children who enter primary school may not have the opportunity to complete junior secondary school, and that means the future for them is still blurred.

    “So where are these children? That means these children, if they are not in school, are out of school. If they are out of school, are they doing any vocational or skills programmes?

    Read Also: HPV: How Oyo achieved 98 percent success rate – UNICEF

    “That means there is the need for the government and also all the stakeholders in education to take action to address these issues, especially around the 21st-century skills, foundational literacy, and transferable skills, which are essential for them to thrive in today’s world.

     “Nigeria needs to build multiple systems or multiple learning pathways to address this growing out-of-school population, which varies from one region to another in Nigeria for different reasons.”

    Aminu, however, stated that the way to identify a child out of school is not by physical appearance because not being in school is not about physical appearance.

    “It’s about how that particular child or that particular person is able to interact, how that person is able to do an efficient business,” he added.

    Also speaking, an education specialist at UNICEF Nigeria, Mrs Azuka Menkiti, said UNICEF recognised the peculiarities of different zones and was supporting the zone to address issues of retention in school and transition to and completion of basic school, which is also contributing to the number of children who are not in school.

    She advocated for more funding to be allocated to secondary schools, emphasising that it would equip them with the necessary skills to succeed in life.

    “This comes from about 10 years of intervention we have done on girls’ education that has shown successful, tested, and skill-able interventions that have been able to help us bring girls to school and keep them in school.

    “What the two-day meeting is doing is supporting states to begin to look at issues that are drivers of dropouts for adolescents in their states.

    “When we talk about the bigger picture of out-of-school children, we are looking at them from different perspectives: those who have never enrolled in school, those who are likely not to enrol in school, and those who have dropped out of school. So we are interested in this meeting for those who are at risk of dropping out and at risk of not actually completing secondary education”, she said

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, Prof. Salihu Abdulwaheed, described as embarrassing the issue of out-of-school, stressing the need to be dealt with holistically.

    He said the issue of out-of-school children in the state was mainly non-indigene and assured that the data would improve ahead of the next academic session.

    While the Commissioner for Education in Ekiti, Dr. Olabimpe Aderiye, noted that every state and region has peculiarities as regards the out-of-school children menace, the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology in Ogun State, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said his state government was already addressing issues and all factors that were indirectly affecting children.

    On his part, the Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Mr. Laolu Akindolire, also said all factors causing children to drop out of school had already been addressed in the state.

  • HPV: How Oyo achieved 98 percent success rate – UNICEF

    HPV: How Oyo achieved 98 percent success rate – UNICEF

    …vaccinates 480,000 girls, records highest coverage in southwest

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has attributed Oyo State’s leading position in the region during the second phase of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination campaign to the successful engagement of parents through religious leaders.

    In this phase, over 480,000 girls aged 9 to 14 received the vaccine in Oyo State.

    A total of 7.3 million adolescent girls were vaccinated across 12 states, with Oyo State achieving the highest coverage in the southwest.

    Other states involved in the second phase included Kwara, Yobe, Niger, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Katsina, Plateau, Borno, Cross River, Kogi, Imo, and Anambra.

    The Nation reports that the state government had in May 2024 introduced the HPV vaccine into the State Extended Programme on Immunisation (EPI), targeting girls aged 9–14 years to stem cases of cervical cancer in women.

    The campaign began at St. Paul Anglican Primary School, Yanbule, Bashorun, with a target of reaching at least 500,000 young girls within the target age group.

    Speaking on the latest feat, UNICEF Social Behavioural Change Specialist, Mrs Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, during a one-day Social Mobilisation Technical Committee meeting at Oyo State Ministry of Information, said Oyo State achieved a 98 percent success rate in this ongoing statewide HPV vaccination campaign.

    Mrs Akinola-Akinwole pointed out that engaging parents through religious leaders was key to Oyo State’s leading position in the region, stating, “In fact, Oyo state is overwhelmed, as the demand for the vaccine exceeds its supply. If there are vaccines, we should have surpassed 100%.

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    “Oyo State is the leading state in the Southwest with the highest level of coverage. The media did so much. Even before we would launch the second phase, the voice notes that we used to combat extremism across the other states came from people in the media, free of charge.

    “Also, there was a strong synergy. I have never worked with the education ministry before in Oyo State. But the way education ministry took it so seriously, if there’s going to be any day that we get an award, it’s going to be education ministry. The Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Professor Adelabu, wrote letters to say they should permit the vaccine’s administration in schools.”

    Akinola-Akinwole declared that with the inclusion of the HPV vaccine into the State Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), girls aged 9–14 years can benefit from the free vaccines till December, but subsequently only for girls at age 9 from January 2025.

    In her remarks, the immediate past President and Oyo State Amirah of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Dr. Bushra Oloso, also called for increased awareness of the HPV vaccine in local dialects in public places like the markets.

    She also urged the government to ensure that out-of-school adolescents also benefit from the vaccination to prevent cervical cancer in girls in the future.

    In a remark, the chairperson of the Women’s Wing of Christian Association Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Lady Dr Patricia Ifoma Amechi-Obi, urged parents not to relent in educating their daughters on the benefit of the HPV vaccine, saying they also end up as peers and educators of other children in their circle of influence.

  • UNICEF, Jigawa join forces to tackle malnutrition

    UNICEF, Jigawa join forces to tackle malnutrition

    Child malnutrition is wreaking havoc in Jigawa State, with the crisis worsening over the years. However, a glimmer of hope emerges from the collaborative efforts between UNICEF and the Jigawa State Government. This partnership has resulted in a substantial intervention: N500 million worth of Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) aimed at treating over 14,000 children suffering from severe wasting. Through this critical support, Jigawa State is taking decisive action to combat the malnutrition crisis and offer relief to its most vulnerable populations. Adekunle Yusuf and Ahmed Rufa’i report

    Child malnutrition is ravaging many homes in Jigawa State, a crisis that extends beyond this 31-year-old state. Saratu Musa, from Kofar Gabas in Sakwaya village, Dutse local government area, is a heart-breaking testament to this crisis. Pregnant while nursing an infant, she faced the devastating reality of seeing two of her children become severely malnourished.

    At 30 years old, Saratu grapples daily with the worsening condition of her children due to a lack of nutritious food and adequate medical care. “The situation is getting worse every day,” she said, her voice heavy with worry. The health facilities in their village are ill-equipped to handle the crisis, leaving families like hers desperate for help. A mother of six, Saratu describes the dire circumstances in her village: “We suffer from poor or non-existent sources of income, which keeps us trapped in extreme poverty. The lack of knowledge and inadequate guidance from health personnel, coupled with government neglect of rural health facilities, makes our situation even more unbearable.”

    Her husband, a farmer, struggles to support the family with his meagre earnings from petty trading, especially during the dry season when the lack of arable land leaves many men without the opportunity for irrigation farming. Saratu’s story is a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to address malnutrition in Jigawa State and other regions. Improved healthcare facilities, better nutritional education, and sustainable income opportunities are essential to break the cycle of poverty and malnutrition that plagues families like Saratu’s.

    “When President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy, the price of everything skyrocketed,” Saratu recalls. “Life became unaffordable, and feeding my family became a daily struggle. I was seven months pregnant with my fifth child, and it was difficult to eat three square meals a day. Sometimes, I only ate once, and even then, the food was not nutritious.”

    Despite her efforts to practise exclusive breastfeeding, Saratu’s inadequate diet affected her ability to produce enough breastmilk, leading to her baby’s malnutrition. “My daughter became malnourished because I couldn’t provide her with enough breastmilk,” she explained. Saratu’s challenges intensified when she became pregnant again just a few months after giving birth. “It was a double tragedy,” she said. “I had a sick, malnourished child and was pregnant again. There was not enough food, and the hardship continued. That’s how my baby died.”

    The removal of the fuel subsidy exacerbated the already dire situation. “When I was in labour, I experienced a prolonged delivery. At the hospital in Sakwaya, the midwife told me I didn’t have enough blood. None of my family members had enough blood to donate, so I was saved by blood from the blood bank.” After giving birth, Saratu returned home to face ongoing hardship. “The struggle continues, and it has worsened during the rainy season. My new baby girl, who is about three months old, is also malnourished. I’m afraid of becoming pregnant again under these conditions.”

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    Kande Nababa (not her real name) also shared her story: “This is my first child. I was married last year at the age of 17. I became pregnant in the month I was married. My husband used to travel to the southern states in search of money as he had no trade or business here, leaving me with his aged parents.” “My husband travelled to one of the southern states—I don’t know which—five to seven weeks after we got married, when I was just a few weeks pregnant. While he was away, I only had a guaranteed meal at night. Morning and afternoon meals were scarce. Since he left, I never saw him again until four days after I delivered this boy.”

    Kande added, “He came with baby clothes and other goods for the baby. He bought me two sets of wrappers and one pair of shoes to wear on the day of the naming ceremony. He also brought some money, though I don’t know the amount. He bought a very big ram, slaughtered it, and named the boy after his father. He stayed for three weeks before going back. The boy is malnourished, which I didn’t know. Nobody told me. He was frequently sick and hardly took breast milk. He also wasn’t drinking water well. After some time, I took him to the hospital. The medical personnel questioned me for giving him water and for not bringing him to the hospital earlier.”

    She continued, “They prescribed about five different medications and gave me only paracetamol syrup, asking me to buy the remaining ones outside as they didn’t have them in the clinic. When I got home, I told my mother-in-law, who also informed my father-in-law. He called my husband and told him to send money for the drugs. It took us weeks to receive the money.”

    Malnutrition is on the rise among children in the state, affecting not only rural areas but also urban areas due to two major factors. The first reason believed to be causing the increase in malnutrition is the current hardship and high cost of food items resulting from the removal of the fuel subsidy, which has plunged the common people into hunger and abject poverty. The second reason is attributed to the previous state administration, which neglected nutrition programmes and stopped procuring Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF). This neglect led to over seventy Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres across the state running out of stock.

    Kudos to the governor, Malam Umar Namadi. Even before his emergence as governor in 2023, he prioritised nutrition and included it in his 12-point agenda presented to the people during his campaign. Immediately after winning the February 2023 gubernatorial election and being sworn into office on May 29, 2023, the governor approved and released N250 million as counterpart funds to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the procurement of RUTF. UNICEF also contributed N250 million, making a total of N500 million.

    UNICEF has completed its assignment of procuring the commodities, shipped them to Nigeria and transported them to Jigawa, where they were delivered to the governor on July 9th in a historic and colourful ceremony at the Dutse Government House. Speaking while receiving the delivery at the Dutse Government House, Governor Namadi said the supply of Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) is timely, as the state was almost out of stock in the over seventy CMAM centres spread across the state. He stated that the RUTF, worth over N500 million from UNICEF, will treat over 14,000 children suffering from severe wasting in the state. “UNICEF is the oldest and most consistent development partner collaborating with and supporting the efforts of successive governments in Jigawa State in the delivery of basic social services, especially those that promote the survival, protection, and development of women and children,” he said.

    The governor added that for over three decades, UNICEF has continued to provide support in areas such as health and nutrition, basic education, water, sanitation and hygiene, social policy development, and social protection interventions, among others. He noted that the intervention aligns with the state government’s commitment to address concerns raised in the report on the situation analysis of children in the state. “These concerns include ensuring nutrition security for our children, given the unfavourable statistics on such nutrition indices as wasting and stunting among children in the state,” he said.

    The governor further stated, “We are more committed than ever to changing the narrative by sustaining and enhancing all ongoing nutrition programs, including our collaboration with UNICEF, to ensure that no child in the state experiences hunger or malnutrition. We firmly believe that the greatest tragedy for a child is to suffer from malnutrition during their formative years, as the consequences are irreversible. A child with hampered cognitive capacity is prevented from reaching their full potential in life,” Namadi emphasised. He pledged greater commitment to sustaining and improving the home-grown Masaki Nutrition Programme, which aims to leverage locally available recipes to significantly and positively impact child nutrition.

    UNICEF Country Director Ms. Cristian Munduate praised Jigawa State’s remarkable leadership in nutrition, health, water, sanitation, and hygiene over the past three years. She highlighted the state’s consistent fund releases, quality service delivery, and the creation of a strong enabling environment. Ms. Munduate informed the governor about the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), supported by key partners such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and managed by UNICEF. She described the CNF as a unique funding instrument.

    “Jigawa State was one of the early adopters of the Child Nutrition Fund, releasing 250 million Naira in 2023. UNICEF matched this amount, enabling the procurement of much-needed RUTF. This initiative will treat around 14,000 children with severe wasting, marking the largest contribution by any state in Nigeria under the CNF to date,” she stated. Ms. Munduate addressed the broader issue of malnutrition in Nigeria, noting, “Malnutrition in Nigeria is on the rise, driven by conflict, forced displacement, and increasing food insecurity due to limited accessibility and affordability. Nigeria currently has the highest number of malnourished children in Africa and the second highest globally, with over 9 million children wasted.”

    The UNICEF country representative disclosed the specific challenges faced by Jigawa State, “Jigawa State faces a high burden of malnutrition, with 64% of children stunted, nearly 10% wasted, and around 82% suffering from anaemia. Over 80% of children experience food poverty, lacking a diverse diet to support growth and development. These figures are staggering.” Despite these challenges, Ms. Munduate commended Jigawa State’s proactive approach to nutrition, health and WASH programming. “Last year, the state procured nearly 4,700 cartons of RUTF, treating over 5,000 children. Jigawa’s innovative Masaki Nutrition Programme, with 300 community sites fully funded by the government, focuses on malnutrition prevention. Trained community health workers are deployed across the state, making Jigawa the first state in Nigeria to implement such a community nutrition programme.”

  • UNICEF, GAVI provide health insurance for 10,000 vulnerable Bayelsans

    UNICEF, GAVI provide health insurance for 10,000 vulnerable Bayelsans

    Two international agencies, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) in collaboration with the Bayelsa State government, have provided health insurance for 10,000 vulnerable children, pregnant women and women of child bearing age in Bayelsa State.

    The GAVI/UNICEF Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme with the theme, ‘Expanding Health Insurance Coverage Through Partnership’, was launched yesterday at the Health Insurance House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

    The launch was attended by stakeholders in the health sector including representatives from World Health Organisation, Clinton Health Access Initiatives, Bayelsa State Primary Health Development Board, National Health Insurance Authority and Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Anslem Audu, Chief Field Office, UNICEF, Port Harcourt, said the health insurance for 10,000 vulnerable persons symbolised substantial leap forward in their collective efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable have access to essential health care services which are fundamental to their well-being and development.

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    Audu said the initiative would not only provide critical medical care but also bring hope and security to countless families across the state.

    He stated: “UNICEF, in collaboration with Bayelsa State government, healthcare providers and dedicated partners, has always prioritised the health and the welfare of children and women.

    “Healthcare is a basic human right, and no child or woman should ever be deprived of it due to financial constraints. The introduction of this health insurance programme will relieve families of the burden of medical expenses, allowing them to seek timely and adequate healthcare without fear or hesitation.”

  • Northern states underperform in infrastructure, WASH, nutrition, says UNICEF

    Northern states underperform in infrastructure, WASH, nutrition, says UNICEF

    A survey conducted by the United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) in 2023 has revealed that the Safe School Initiative, aimed at creating a conducive learning environment, is falling short in key areas such as infrastructure, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and nutrition in several northern states.

    This was disclosed at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Bauchi yesterday to discuss the findings from the survey conducted in 10 northern states, where the initiative was implemented.

    The programme, organised by the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (BASUBEB) and UNICEF, saw participation from 20 local government education secretaries representing the state’s councils.

    However, the results from the survey indicated that Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Adamawa performed poorly across 21 standards set for safe schools.

    According to UNICEF, the 10 states included Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kebbi.

    Some of the indicators include, strong school system, violence against children, natural hazards, conflict, everyday hazards and safe school infrastructure.

    The report claimed that the states on average implemented nine out of the 21 standards.

    Overall, schools scored highest in their ability to prevent Violence Against Children (VAC), owing primarily to their capacity to respond to concerns about children’s well-being and their implementation of activities intended to prevent VAC at school.

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    “On the other hand, the lowest score was in school infrastructure, which remains nonfunctional, unsafe, or inaccessible, while guidelines for access control at the school are seldom followed.

    “Low performance was noted also in relation to everyday hazards, driven by schools’ inability to meet children’s nutrition, WASH, and health needs.

    “Little improvement, if any, was noted between data collection rounds, with scores remaining consistently low overall and across states,” the report stated.

    Fielding questions in an interview at the event, an Education Specialist with UNICEF, Ado AbdulRahman Ibrahim, urged the Bauchi State government to prioritise improvements in infrastructure and WASH to make schools more comfortable for learners.

     “Another aspect is the availability of WASH facilities. We have seen girls leaving school due to menstrual hygiene issues, ensuring that learners are comfortable and free from psychosocial and physical abuse is crucial,” he said.

  • UNICEF: every child has right to legal identity

    UNICEF: every child has right to legal identity

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said registering the birth of the Nigerian child is not just a mere procedural formality, but also their right to have a legal identity.

    Stressing the need for electronic birth registration for children in Nigeria, the international agency said a registered child has acknowledged rights to protection, health care, education and particularly, visibility to the government, among other critical services.

    Chief of UNICEF Field Office for Southwest Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, spoke at the opening of a media dialogue on e-birth registration in Southwest Nigeria.

    The event was held in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development and the National Population Commission (NPoPc), with the theme: “Giving Every Child a Legal Identity: A Media Dialogue to Drive E-Birth Registration in Southwest Nigeria.”

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    Noting that it is important to give every child an identity, which can be achieved through registration, Lafoucriere said the e-registration is important to generate statistics for effective planning, as it will enhance national planning and development for the country.

    She said with efficient e-birth registration for the country, governments would be able to plan and implement policies that would cater to the needs of the people, particularly youths.

    Lafoucriere said: “This is gathering of journalists across the Southwest of Nigeria, and as you know for us in UNICEF, you are very crucial partners in support of our mission to ensure every child in Nigeria is given the right to a legal identity, as you know, or UNICEF and for everyone around the world.”

  • 343,942 Adamawa school children benefit as UNICEF hands out learning materials

    343,942 Adamawa school children benefit as UNICEF hands out learning materials

    A total of 343,942 school children in Adamawa State are beneficiaries as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) hands out educational materials for quality teaching and learning.

    The materials include school bags, higher note books, big note exercise books, recreational kits, early childhood development (ECD) kits, as well as assorted pens, erasers, rulers, and sharpeners.

    There are also a number of packages called school-in-a-box, each of which contains teaching and learning resources for 40 pupils, aimed at providing a functional alternative for communities without formal school setting.

    The UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tusha Rane, said at the distribution flag-off in Yola that the materials were provided to advance UNICEF’s collective mission of reducing the number of out-of-school children.

    Tusha Rane, who spoke on the occasion through UNICEF Education Consultant, Joel Jutum, said UNICEF is motivated by the optimism that when children have the necessary tools for learning, they are more likely to stay in school.

    He added that UNICEF, in partnership with other organisations, which include Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW), Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), and the Adamawa State Government, has constructed and renovated classrooms and installed perimeter fences, toilets, and instructional facilities across 125 schools in the state from 2021 to date.

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    He urged the state government to continue strengthening collaboration to ensure that more children enrol in schools.

    In his remark, the Executive Chairman, Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB), Dr Murtala Umar Babayi, said the state government was deeply grateful to UNICEF for its steadfastness in helping children with the materials that they require for quality education.

    He said the government on its part is committed to ensuring that every Adamawa child receives quality education.