By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
The new UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Wafaa Saeed Abdullatif, has paid a courtesy visit to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, pledging stronger collaboration to improve the welfare of children and families in the state.
Speaking during the meeting 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, and resilience against shocks such as insecurity and climate change.
She commended Bauchi State for prioritizing child development, particularly for committing resources to Child Nutrition Fund, which she described as a model for Nigeria and beyond.
According to her, the state’s focus on tackling out-of-school children, stressing that education remains key to reducing child early marriage, 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.
The Governor, 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.
He further noted that Bauchi has also paid its ₦132 million Basic Healthcare Provision Fund for 2025.
Governor Mohammed listed other interventions in the health sector, to include, the construction of 50 new Primary Healthcare Centres, renovation of three general hospitals, equipping of over 200 PHCs, recruitment of over 1,600 health workers and 100 doctors, as well as the introduction of a new salary structure for health workers to improve retention.
On education, the Governor admitted challenges in tackling out-of-school children despite building over 7,000 classrooms and reducing prevalence by 40 percent.
He stressed the need for community support to ensure enrollment and retention, noting that poverty, cultural practices, and child labour remain major obstacles.
He 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.