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 children and their mothers in the state.
He listed immunisation, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene as the most impacted sectors in the state.
While receiving the UNICEF country representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed Abdullatif, during a visit to Bauchi yesterday, the governor described the visit as a testimony of the development partner’s trust and confidence in his administration.
Governor Bala Mohammed recalled that since the coming on board of his administration in the state, the collaboration between the two partners had improved the state education sector, reproductive and maternal healthcare services.
He also hailed UNICEF’s construction of a N2.5 billion Oxygen Production Plant at Ali Kwara General Hospital in Azare, 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 N872 million, and release of N100 million Nutrition Counterpart funds to UNICEF,” he said.
Governor Bala further enumerated others, including the payment of N132m in Basic healthcare provision 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.
He revealed that among the achievements are the recruitment of over 1,600 health workers and 100 doctors to man the state’s various health facilities and the reintroduction of the free service scheme to afford state students studying different health-related courses, so that right in the classroom, they were put on payroll and encouraged to be part of the state manpower requirements in the health sector.
He disclosed that the state government has approved a new salary structure for healthcare workers to match the federal government’s approved salary scale, and an implementation committee has already been appointed to work out modalities.
Earlier, Abdullatif said the agency remains committed to focusing on Bauchi’s priorities and being flexible in aligning with the state’s vision.
She emphasised that UNICEF’s core mandate is to give every child the best start by ensuring access to immunisation, proper nutrition, quality education, protection from violence, and resilience against insecurity and climate change.
The UNICEF chief expressed gratitude and commended Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed’s leadership, especially in committing resources to the people’s services, particularly the Child Nutrition Funds.
