The Nation Newspaper

Tag: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

  • Northcentral, Southwest lead in open defecation, says UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said 16 million people, representing 53.9 per cent, practise open defecation or have unhygienic toilets.

    UNICEF said its findings were based on the 2018 survey by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM).

    The report was produced by UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

    According to the findings, the Southwest came second with 28 per cent of its population involved in the practice.

    The Southeast occupied the third spot with 22.4 per cent of its population practising open defecation.

    The Northeast was ranked fourth with 21.8 per cent, while the Southsouth had 17.9 per cent of its population practising open defecation.

    The survey stated that the Northwest had the best record with 10.3 per cent.

    According to the report, 47 million people practise open defecation in Nigeria with many using unhygienic toilets.

    UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist (WASH) specialist Bioye Ogunjobi said Nigeria needs to add two million toilets per year -between 2019 and 2025 – to achieve the Universal Basic Sanitation target.

    He said the country currently delivers 160,000 improved toilets annually.

    Ogunjobi, at a media dialogue on: Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet campaign in Kano, quoted the WASHNORM survey, said one out of every four Nigerians still practise open defecation.

    The dialogue was organised by the Child Rights Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (CRIB/FMI) in collaboration with UNICEF, the European Union (EU) and the Department for International Development (DFID/UKaid).

    Read Also: 3,500 child soldiers recruited in Nigeria —UNICEF

    Ogunjobi noted that only 12 per cent of markets and motor parks visited had basic sanitation services.

    The UNICEF WASH specialist said the practice was not limited to the poor in rural areas but also among the elite.

    Ogunjobi, who expressed concerns over the practice of open defecation in the country, noted that it constituted danger to the lives of the people, especially children.

    He warned that the situation must be addressed so that government at all levels would stop spending billions on drugs to cure diseases that could have been prevented through cleanliness.

    UNICEF is implementing the Clean Nigeria: Use the toilet campaign in Kano, Osun and Cross River states.

     

  • Kaduna: 6,000 babies at risk of HIV in 2019 – UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that about 6,000 newborn babies in Kaduna State are at the risk of getting infected by HIV in 2019.

    Dr. Adam Zakari, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Kaduna, made the revelation in Kaduna on Monday at a “one day Feedback meeting with the Wife of Kaduna State Governor and Spouses of Local Government Chairmen/Chairpersons on level of Kaduna implementation of 2018 Demand Creation activities for the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Kaduna State.

    Dr. Zakari, said, though Kaduna has recorded a lots of achievement of consistent increase in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, coverage from 16% in 2012 to 66% in 2017, however, HIV in children has become a critical health problem undermining the positive impact of child survival intervention efforts of the state.

    “This increase is as a result of joint evidence-based planning and coordinated implementation of home grown LGA specific strategies and interventions across the state.

    “However, there are about 6,000 babies at risk of getting HIV infected this year in Kaduna State if appropriate and innovative PMTCT interventions are not implemented. It is there evident that transmission of HIV in children has become a critical health problem undermining the positive impact of child survival intervention efforts of the state.” He explained.

    Dr. Zakari noted that, Kaduna State is one of the four states in the country being supported by UNICEF to pilot elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) of HIV by 2020 and end adolescent AIDs epidemic by 2030.

    He also said the state is still challenged by low Antenatal Care (ANC) attendance and hospital delivery and is equally battling with low awareness about the benefits of eMTCT and inadequate human resources for quality health services.

    “Currently, there are 6,000 babies at a risk of getting HIV infection in 2019 if appropriate and innovative eMTCT interventions are not fully implemented.

    “This meeting, therefore, provides an opportunity to lay bare all the eMTCT challenges with a view to take proactive measures to tackle them,” he said.

    Read Also: UNICEF accuses Boko Haram of violations against children

    He however expressed happiness over the way the wives of LGA chairmen are committed in their resolve to help in eliminating HIV in the State.

    Earlier in his remark, the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo, said that the state has achieved a giant stride in reducing the prevalence of HIV in the state.

    Dogo explained that HIV prevalence has reduced from 11.6 per cent in 1999 to 1.1 per cent in 2018 adding that the state has moved from prevention of mother to child transition of HIV to elimination.

    He stressed that the government has put all necessary measures to ensure that attainment of zero mother to child transmission by 2020.

    “To achieve this, the state government had in 2012 established 126 eMTCT sites and currently we have 927 eMTCT sites.

    “All we need is increase demand for such services, which is where the wives of the local government chairmen come in.

    “We need you to support the wife of the governor to create the needed awareness and enlightenment to our mothers in all LGAs to demand for HIV services which are readily available in health centres,” he said.

    The commissioner commended UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the state in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

    He however noted that, partners funding was decreasing, stressing the need to increase domestic funding for HIV intervention to sustain the progress so far achieved.

    On his part, a resource person at the meeting, Malam Lawal Abubakar, said that inadequate finding was grossly affecting eMTCT activities in the state, leading to inadequate test kits and other HIV commodities in eMTCT facilities.

    “There was also weak linkage of pregnant women tested HIV positive from health facilities to HIV treatment.

    “As at 2017, 56 per cent of antenatal care facilities were provided with eMTCT service and only 66 per cent of HIV pregnant women were placed on treatment.” Abubakar added.

    Wife of Kaduna State Governor, Hajiya Ummi El-Rufai, in her own speech appealed to the wives of the LG chairmen to redouble their effort toward ensuring that no child is infected with HIV.

    “Take this as a personnel responsibility in ensuring that all pregnant women in your domain are enlighten on the benefits of eMTCT, attends ANC and demand for HIV services.

    “This is the only way we will continue to make progress toward achieving zero new infections of HIV among newborn in Kaduna state,” he said.

     

  • UNICEF accuses Boko Haram of violations against children

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has accused the Boko Haram terrorists’ factions of carrying out grave atrocities against children in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region over the course of 2018.

    The UN agency, in a report ‘How the world failed children in conflict in 2018’, also said the world failed to protect children in conflict in Nigeria and 14 other countries in 2018.

    UNICEF said the future of millions of children living in Nigeria and other countries affected by armed conflict were at risk, as warring parties continued to commit grave violations against children, and world leaders failed to hold perpetrators accountable.

    The other countries are Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Myanmar, Palestine, South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

    UNICEF added that children living in countries at war had come under direct attack, had been used as human shields, killed, maimed or recruited to fight.

    The UN children agency said rape, forced marriage and abduction had become standard tactics employed by the mainstream Boko Haram terrorists and the factional Islamic State West Africa Province.

    UNICEF said: “In northeast Nigeria, armed groups, including Boko Haram factions, continue to target girls, who are raped, forced to become wives of fighters or used as ‘human bombs’.

    “In February, the group abducted 110 girls and one boy from a technical college in Dapchi, Yobe State.

    “While most of the children have since been released, five girls died and one is still being held captive as a slave”.

    Read Also: UNICEF rallies against genital mutilation

    In the Lake Chad basin, ongoing conflict, displacement and attacks on schools, teachers and other education facilities have put the education of 3.5 million children at risk, UNICEF said.

    “Today in northeast Nigeria, the Lake region of Chad, extreme north of Cameroon and Diffa region of Niger, at least 1,041 schools are closed or non-functional due to violence, fear of attacks, or unrest, affecting nearly 445,000 children.”

    Across all these countries, UNICEF said it worked with partners to provide the most vulnerable children with health, nutrition, education and child protection services.

    “For example, in October, UNICEF helped to secure the release of 833 children recruited into armed forces in northeast Nigeria, and is working with partners to reintegrate them into their communities,” it said.

    UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes, Mr Manuel Fontaine, said children suffering atrocities and the number of countries in conflict hit new peak in 2018.

    “Children living in conflict zones around the world have continued to suffer through extreme levels of violence over the past 12 months, and the world has continued to fail them.

    “For too long, parties to conflict have been committing atrocities with near-total impunity, and it is only getting worse. Much more can and must be done to protect and assist children.

    “2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, yet today, more countries are embroiled in internal or international conflict than at any other time in the past three decades.

    “Children living through conflict are among the least likely to be guaranteed their rights. Attacks on children must end,” Fontaine said.

    UNICEF called on warring parties to abide by their obligations under international law to immediately end violations against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and water infrastructure.

    UNICEF also called on states with influence over parties to conflict to use that influence to protect children.

    “Much more needs to be done to prevent wars, and to end the many disastrous armed conflicts devastating children’s lives.

    “Yet even as wars continue, we must never accept attacks against children. We must hold warring parties to their obligation to protect children.

    “Otherwise, it is children, their families and their communities who will continue to suffer the devastating consequences, for now, and for years to come,” Fontaine said.

    NAN

  • Malnutrition: UNICEF reaches over 1m children with Vitamin ‘A’ supplementation

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says no fewer than 1, 239, 802 children has been given Vitamin ‘A’ supplementation in Yobe and Borno through the support of the Department of International Development (DFID).

    Dr Martin Jackson, UNICEF Nutrition Officer in Bauchi State, made this known on Thursday at a media dialogue while presenting a paper on DFID support for child malnutrition in the North-East in Yola.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

    Theme of the event is: “Investing in Malnutrition for the Future.’’

    Jackson said that UNICEF was able to attain these feat through the UKaid funded Integrated Basic Nutrition Response to the humanitarian crisis in Yobe and Borno project (INP+) which commenced in July 2017 till date.

    She said that 38,000 Severe Acute Malnutrition children (SAM) were admitted at the various Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres or facilities across the states.

    He added that about 95 per cent of the numbers admitted from three local government areas in Yobe and nine from Borno respectively were cured.

    Read Also:UNICEF, Bayelsa train workers to tackle maternal mortality

     

    “The Basic Nutrition Response to humanitarian crisis in Yobe and Borno presentation is to highlight the achievements made by UNICEF through the DFID and Action against Hunger.

    “As well as World Food Programme through the multi-sectoral pilot programme,” he said.

    The benefitting local governments in Yobe include: Tarmua, Gujba and Nangere, while that of Borno are: Maiduguri Municipal Council, Jere, Konduga, Bayo, Biu, Kwaya Kusa, Shani, Askira Uba and Hawul.

    He said further that 195,000 pregnant women were given Iron fob late to prevent them from anaemia being the scourge.

    Jackson said 32,000 mothers were given N5, 000 each on monthly basis as an incentive for exclusive breastfeeding and complimentary feeding.

    He explained that the purpose of the incentive was to encourage the mothers to effectively adhere to the practice to reduce the burden of nutrition crisis in the zones.

    Jackson explained further that the interventions were geared toward improving nutritional security of under five children, pregnant and lactating women, as well promoting nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life.

    He added that the programme was to ensure improved nutritional status of children under the ages of five, pregnant and lactating mothers through prevention, detection and treatment of under nutrition.

  • “Violent disciplinary methods against children over 90 per cent in C/River”

    Chief of Field Office, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Enugu Field Office, Ibrahim Conte, says cases of violent disciplinary actions against children is over 90 per cent in Cross River State.

    Conte, who said this was according to the 2016/17 multi indicator survey (MICS), stated that reports show an increasing trend for cases of child-witchcraft branding, sexual abuse and domestic violence against children.

    Speaking during a three-day training of police officers on handling cases of children in Calabar, Conte, who was represented by Maureen Zubie-Okolo, said survey findings, media reports and routine administrative data show that that there is a high prevalence of violence against children.

    “UNICEF calls on stakeholders to improve actions to reverse the trend of violence against children and provide quality and timely preventive and restorative services. These will include security and access to justice to children already affected.

    “As part of the ongoing Child Protection System Strengthening programme in Cross River State, this training is key in enhancing the capacities of the police force in preventing and responding to violence against children in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the State’s Child Rights Law.

    “All stakeholders need to do more to support children who are in conflict with the law with child-sensitive services for their reformation and reintegration,” he said.

    Director Citizens Rights, Ministry of Justice and UNICEF Focal Officer, Mrs Florence Agbiiji, said the training was organized in collaboration with the Ministry to train police officers of the Cross River State Command on the standard of operation procedure for children cases because the police are critical stakeholders in the children justice administration.

    Read Also: Cross River: Group petitions APC over governorship primary

    “They have to be trained and UNICEF has developed a standard of operation which means that wherever officer have to handle issues concerning children, they should all have similar approaches in handling children and doing things to the best interest of the child.

    “We are on track because there have been series of training and sensitization. You can see that here we have about 50 police officers from the various local governments in Cross River State and they are being trained and after they trained they will take the knowledge to their various units or stations and with the sensitization we are having a change so it is a progressive work and we believe we are going to get there. So far there is an awareness that police officers now have that it is no longer business as usual when you have to deal with cases that involve children. Children that are in conflict with the law and children that are in contact with the law.

    “Children are to be treated in a special way that is why we are talking about this training because you cannot treat a child the way you treat an adult. So there are procedures you have to use when dealing with a child. We want justice for the child. A child who is in contact with the law may not necessarily be an offender and so we need to be able to know how to deal with that child to take the child from that dangerous position that the child has found himself or herself. Even if a child is an offender, you have to treat the child in a manner that you will be able to preserve the integrity of that child because the child is a human being and has a right to be protected,” Agbiji said.

  • Minister stresses importance of water, sanitation in life of a child

    ….Nigeria ranks 3rd in open defecation…UNICEF

    Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has stressed the importance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the life of a child. 

    This is as the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ), WASH specialist,  Mainga Moono Banda said Nigeria ranked third in the world with the largest number of people practicing open defecation. 

    The duo spoke at the opening of a two day agenda for Media dialogue on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ( WASH ) in Awka, Anambra state also urged the media to help push the course. 

    The WASH programme which is funded by European Union and coordinated by the United Nations Children Fund ( UNICEF ) has been on in the country in the last five years in six states and 20 Local Government Areas.

    The minister noted that clean water and sanitation are so essential for the survival and development of all children. 

    “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene is very important in the life of a Child. The Sustainable Development Goal 6 clearly emphasizes the importance of clean water and sanitation. Water and Sanitation are essential for the survival and development of all children, while simple Hygiene such as hand washing can save lives, the minister said”.

    He also added that “The issue of safe water and sanitation has been in the front burner of development issues in Nigeria because it affects a major segment of our society, a lot of whom are children.”

    The minister who was represented by Mr. Olumide Osanyinpeju, Deputy Director, Child Right Information Bureau Federal Ministry of Information and Culture noted that the country has achieved a lot in the area of water supply and sanitation, however said a lot still needed to be done. 

     “A lot of milestone has also been achieved, and a lot still needs to be done considering the fact that we are yet to attain that level where we can confidently say that our communities all have safe water, sanitation and hygiene. It is to this effect that this media dialogue is organized.”

    He also commended UNICEF and EU who have been in the forefront of ensuring that the country have access to safe drinking water supply, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene in our environment and communities. 

    He welcomed the continuous support in ensuring that safe water, sanitation and hygiene are brought to the rural people of Nigeria through the WASH Programme.

    In her presentation Mainga who quoted from the 2017 MICS survey said, over 46 million people still practice Open Defection (ODF) in Nigeria as 33 million of this figure live in the rural area.
    “130 million across the country use unapproved sanitary facilities, more than half live in the rural area while 45,000 children die annually from disease caused by poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene.”

    She said WASH plays a critical role in improving  health, nutrition and hygiene in Nigeria adding for Nigeria to meet up its SDG goal 6 on water and sanitation  by 2030, provision of safe and adequate hygiene that would curb issues of water borned and sanitation related diseases would be reduced.

    “Despite all effort, sanitation is declining instead of improving and this is calls for concern. The trend in water between year 200 and 2015 revealed that the gradients is going up instead of declining same with sanitation especially in the rural area.”

    She said the goal is, “we are not leaving anyone behind whether in the rural or urban area.”

  • UNICEF targets 501,749 out-of-school children in northern states

    The United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) says it hopes to expand access to quality education for 501,749 out-of-schildren in four states in the north by 2020 under its Cash Transfer Programme (CTP).

    The CTP is being implemented in Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara under the Educate A Child (EAC-CTP) and Girls Education Project phase 3 (GEP3-CTP) project across 18 Local government Area in the state.

    UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti, disclosed this at a two-day workshop for Education Correspondent in Sokoto, on Wednesday.

    The workshop was organised by the Child Rights Information Bureau ( CRIB ) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ).

    The CTP is a UNICEF Programme which hopes to increase enrollment in schools and also keep pupils in school by giving their parents money to provide human capital development for them children.

    The target under its EAC-CTP intervention is to reach 41,391 child beneficiaries and their female caregivers in four years: 31,044 in Kebbi State and 10,347 in Zamfara State.

    “The overall goal of EAC is to expand access to quality basic education for 501,749 out-of-school children (OOSC) by 2020 in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.

    “Our main hope is that by 2020, we will be able to bring 501,749 into school. That is almost half a million who are missing education.

    “The project is being implemented in partnership with target state governments, which have a high-burden of out-of-school girls, in northern Nigeria.

    “Through its interventions, GEP3 aims to improve access, retention and quality ensuring that learning outcomes for girls improve,” she said.

    She identified poverty as a major reason why children, especially girls, are not attending primary schools in the north.

    According to her, the focus of UNICEF is to increase access of children in the north to education and to ensure that quality learning actually took place in primary schools.

    She said enrollment had increased in states where the cash transfer intervention project had been implemented by UNICEF.

    “Cash transfer comes quickly as a very good solution that will reduce poverty. The main purpose is to reduce the poverty related reasons that prevent boys and girls from going to schools.

    “Cash transfer addresses solely issues of enrollment. It is directed at addressing demands in education,” she added.

    Commissioner for Higher Education, Sokoto, Dr: Muhammed Kirgori, said the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal had declared a state of emergency on education in the state in order to address the challenges of out-of-school children in the state.

    The commissioner said the state government was concerned by the huge figures of children not going to school.

    This, he said, has made the government to come up with short, medium and long term solutions to the problem of education in the state.

    He also said the state government had released 500 million to sustain the cash transfer  Programme in the state.

    “We key into the cash transfer programme of UNICEF and other partners because of the impact it has made in the sampled local government.

    “We have introduced the Programme in all the twenty three local governments in the state,” he said.

  • UNICEF: Enrollment in Niger, Sokoto, increase by 61.8%

     

    The Cash Transfer Programme ( CTP ) of the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) has increased enrolment of girls in schools in Niger and Sokoto states by 61.8 per cent.

    The organisation said the programme has also reached 23, 000 girls in both states.

    Chief of Education, UNICEF Nigeria, Terry Durnnian, said this at a briefing to launch a report titled: “Impact Evaluation of UNICEF Nigeria Girls’ Education Project Phase 3 ( GEP3 ) Cash Transfer Programme in Niger and Sokoto states” in Abuja on Thursday.

    A breakdown of the report showed that enrolment by girls in Niger state had increased by 29.4 per cent while that of Sokoto state stood at 32.4 per cent.

    The CTP is being implemented in Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

    It provides 665 under-privileged girls the opportunity to enroll and also remain in schools.

    Mr. Durnnian said: “I am delighted to be here today to talk about one of our education interventions that has successfully managed to remove some of these barriers and given more girls and boys in Sokoto, Niger, Kebbi and Zamfara states an opportunity to go to school and stay in school.

    “Children living in rural areas have less of a chance of going to school than those living in urban areas. Most of these children are girls; girls who never went to school from the beginning, and girls who have to drop out due to social and cultural reasons.

    “The programme is specifically designed to address the poverty-related reasons preventing children to enroll and stay in school. It gives families an opportunity to cover direct and opportunity costs related to their children’s-especially girls’ education. These costs include cost of uniforms, textbooks, learning materials and the lost benefit that the family will miss from the child’s contribution to the family income by going to school.

    “I am delighted to tell you that to date more than 23, 000 girls have benefitted from the programme in Niger and Sokoto states. The girls’ enrolment rate has increased by 29.4% in Niger and 32.4% in Sokoto. Both state governments have continued to rollout the programme and are successfully reaching more children.

    “In Kebbi and Zamfara states, the programme has started. We have already reached out to close to 11, 000 girls and boys with the first cash transfer payment.”

    He said UNICEF is committed to ensure that children in Nigeria enjoyed quality education.

    Durnnian identified poverty as one of the reasons why children stay away from school.

    “In Nigeria, more than 10 million children are out of school. Most of these children are girls and in the northern part of the country.

    “There are several reasons why these children are not in school. Often, children from the poorest families are more likely to be out of school than the ones from wealthier households. Children living in rural areas also have less chance of going to school than those growing up in cities.

    “Some girls are forced to marry. Some boys must work to help their families survive financially. These are just few examples.

    “When asked, parents and guardians cite poverty-related reasons as the most important, determining factor why their children are not in school.

    “We at UNICEF are dedicated to ensure all children can enjoy their right to a quality education, from early learning opportunities that lay the groundwork for success in school, all the way through secondary school.

    “Quality education equips children to succeed in school, perform productive work, take care of themselves and lead fulfilling lives,” he added.

  • SGBs have improved infrastructure in schools – Oyo Govt

    The Oyo State Government on Tuesday said that the School Governing Boards (SGBs) have arrested the infrastructural decay in various secondary schools across state, saying that over N2bn have been expended by SGBs, philanthropists and old students associations on new buildings, renovation of the old ones, laboratories, ICT centres, chairs, desks and boreholes.

    It said that the participatory schools’ management model, the first of its kind in the country introduced by Governor Abiola Ajimobi a year ago, is executing one infrastructural programme or the other in various schools, explaining that out of the N2bn, the SGBs have spent N1.269 billion realized from the N3,000 session fee paid by each student while projects already commissioned put in place by Old Students, philanthropists and corporate organisations stood at about N0.8billion.

    The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela during a three day expanded stakeholders meeting on Implementation of 2018 State Engagement Plan (SEP) organized by Ministry of Education in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) held at Emmanuel Alayande Resource Centre, Samonda, Ibadan disclosed that the total number of people engaged by Government for this participatory service (SGBs) is 5,652 members for the 628 secondary schools in the state.

    Read Also: Oyo offers free TB treatment

    Professor Olowofela explained that SGB is made up of nine members who are on voluntary services except the statutory members that are civil servants which include the Principals, who are the secretaries of the Boards, nominees of Council Chairmen and Local Inspector Education (L.I.Es) where the schools are domiciled.

    The Commissioner said that the introduction of the SGB was a masterstroke to change the fortune of education in the state, saying, “the SGB has led to renewed rivalry among various old students associations as they are all trying to outdo one another in providing infrastructure for their schools.  During the launch of Education Trust Fund (ETF) in November 2017, the SGB of Government College, Ibadan was honoured as the best SGB and this has in no doubt propelled other SGBs to act.

    “Recently, the SGB of Lagelu Grammar School also injected about N250m into the renovation of schools. There are so many SGBs working on renovations of their schools and this is evident in the present state on improved infrastructures as the government also observed that some of the buildings earlier earmarked for rehabilitation have already been renovated by SGBs or Old students.

    “Our SGB intervention for schools is a success story and we need to commend various old students association for being part of this laudable achievement to renovate existing buildings, construct new ones, laboratories, ICT centres as well as provision of laboratories equipment, chairs, desks and boreholes,” Professor Olowofela said.

    Prof. Olowofela appreciated the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration for his transformational initiative in the States’ education sector and commended the collaborators, stressing that the benefits of UNICEF and State Planning Commission’s conduct of Annual School Census and others cannot be over emphasised.

    While delivering his speech, the UNICEF Education Specialist, Mr. Muritala Muhammed stated that the essence of the training is to develop a better understanding of the use of SEP as a tool for education planning for basic and Secondary schools, update knowledge on the developed SEP and proffer best practices/way forward for maximum outcome in education service delivery in the State among others.

    Mr. Muhammed stated further that UNICEF is set to collaborate and give technical support to partner states for the next 5 years in the area of Governance, Community and teacher development.

  • Embrace data-driven reporting, UNICEF urges Nigerian media

    Embrace data-driven reporting, UNICEF urges Nigerian media

    The United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) has urged media professionals in Nigeria to embrace  data gathering  in order to ensure accurate  and credible  reportage.

    Mrs Blessing Ejiofor, UNICEF Communication Officer, Lagos Field Office, made the call in Ibadan on Wednesday at a two-day workshop on  data-driven reporting   for journalists.

    Our reporters ,   reports that the workshop was organised in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Lagos State.

    Ejiofor, who noted that data is  critical to policy-making in every organisation, said data processing in news writing would ensure that news and reports are  accurate and credible.

    “For our report to be credible and believable, we need accurate data from credible sources which make such reports to be credible and believable by people who read or watch,’’ she said.

    Ejiofor said that the workshop was aimed at training participants on how to effectively turn data into stories, adding that it would also create opportunities for data supported advocacy for children in the Nigerian media.

    Read Also: 12m girls become child brides yearly – UNICEF

    The workshop, she added, would also familiarize journalists with key finding of multiple indicator cluster survey as it relates to children and women in the South West  Zone and Edo.

    She further said  that the expected outcome of the training would  enable journalists to gain skills on interpreting data for stories and reports.

    Earlier, Mr Waheed Ishola, the NOA Director, said that the workshop was aimed at training journalists on gathering of  data and their interpretation for news reporting.

    Ishola said that data in news reporting was important for  accurate  and credible reports.

    Our reporters ,  reports that more than 50 journalists are participating in the workshop.

    NAN