By Baban Khalid
Governor Bala Mohammed has noted with delight that the Bauchi state government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have collaborated positively in transforming the lives of children and their mothers in the state, particularly in the areas of immunisation, nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene.
While receiving the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed Abdullatif, during a courtesy visit to Bauchi yesterday, the Governor described the visit as a testimony of the development partner’s trust and confidence in the Bauchi PDP administration.
Governor Bala recalled that since coming on board of his administration in the state, the collaboration between the two partners has also improved the state education sector and reproductive and maternal healthcare services.
He also hailed the construction by UNICEF of a N2.5 billion Oxygen Production Plant at Ali Kwara General Hospital in Azare, the renovation and equipping of 107 primary health centres, capacity building for health workers, and continued support for community initiatives, including volunteer community mobilisers VCMs, Mama-to-Mama Support Groups, and Fathers for Good Health community resource persons.
“The state government places a high premium on the health sector, as demonstrated by executing various laudable projects, which include the release of 2025 PSCM counterpart funds amounting to N872m and the release of N100m in nutrition counterpart funds to UNICEF.”
Others, Governor Bala further enumerated, are the payment of N132m in basic healthcare provision funds as counterpart funds for 2025, the construction and equipping of an additional 50 PHCs by the state government, and the renovation and equipping of three general hospitals for over 200 PHCs, among others.
Also as part of the achievements, he revealed, is the recruitment of over 1,600 health workers and 100 doctors to man the state’s various health facilities, as well as the reintroduction of a free service scheme to afford the state’s students studying different health-related courses so that right in the classroom they are put on payroll and encouragedthrough bonding to be part of the state’s manpower requirements in the health sector.
He disclosed that the state government has approved a new salary structure for healthcare workers to meet the federal government’s approved salary scale, with an implementation committee already appointed to work out modalities.
Speaking earlier, the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed Abdullatif, assured that the agency is fully committed to focusing on the priorities of Bauchi State and to being flexible in aligning with the state visions.
She emphasised that UNICEF’s core mandate is to give every child the best start in life by ensuring access to immunisation, proper nutrition, quality education, protection from violence, and resilience against challenges such as insecurity and climate change.
The Nigeria UNICEF chief expressed gratitude and commended the leadership of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, especially in committing resources to the services of the people, particularly the Child Nutrition Funds.
She further highlighted the government’s efforts to address the issue of out-of-school children, noting that education is critical to reducing early child marriage, improving health outcomes, and securing a brighter future for the next generation.
