Nigeria: Unicef On 2026 Budget - State Govts Should Prioritise Social Sector Funding to Improve Wellbeing of Children, Women

11 November 2025
This Day (Lagos)
By Segun Awofadeji

Bauchi — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office has appealed to state governments for increased allocation to the social sector in the 2026 budget proposal for the improvement of children and women wellbeing.

States under the Bauchi Field Office of the UNICEF are Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau and Taraba.

Speaking during a one-day review meeting of 2025 programmes held at Hazibal Hotel and Suites, Bauchi, yesterday, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, stressed the need for state governments to allocate more funds to the social sector in their 2026 budgets.

According to her, "We have ongoing campaigns on out-of-school children, health, nutrition, social protection, and WASH. Five key sectors to be given more attention - Health, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, Social Protection, and Education - as areas requiring adequate funding to improve the wellbeing of children and women.

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According to her, "The state governments should allocate more funds to the social sector in their 2026 budgets. We have ongoing campaigns on out-of-school children, health, nutrition, social protection, and WASH."

The UNICEF Chief of Field Office however commended the reviewed states for their commitment to development initiatives, especially the payment of counterpart funding for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the fight against severe acute malnutrition in Uder-5 children.

She particularly praised the efforts of states and local governments in returning children to school and strengthening community-based interventions

In return, she assured that UNICEF will continue to support states in implementing programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of women and children.

She added: "It is commendable that Bauchi, Gombe, and Plateau States have fulfilled their commitments. Supplies have been completed for Gombe and Plateau, while that of Bauchi is in progress".

Nuzhat Rafique assured that UNICEF will continue to support the states in the various intervention areas in the social sector which deal with the well-being of women and children.

According to her, "UNICEF is only an intervention agency supporting the implementation of various programmes by the states. We are more concerned in seeing that the programmes were implemented based on the work plans."

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