The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), said on Friday it had concluded arrangements to introduce a new programme, known as the ‘Child Funding Community Initiative’ in 15 states of the federation.
Mr. Bhanu Pathak, UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, disclosed this at the global agency’s ongoing 2019 End of Year Review Meeting on Friday in Jos.
According to Pathak, the initiative is aimed at addressing challenges that hinder children from attaining their full potentials in life.
He explained that the programme would address the challenge of malnutrition, poor education, immunisation, poor hygiene practices and many others prevalent among children in mostly rural communities.
“We want to ensure rural women have access to antenatal services, so as to reduce maternal mortality in communities.
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“So, we are starting with 15 states, and in each of these states, two local government areas and three selected communities will benefit,” he said.
Pathak named Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa, among others as states to benefit from the initiative.
He explained that the benefiting states were selected after a careful survey that indicated children were being faced with myriad of challenges in those areas.
“We have selected these 15 states based on social indicators, worsening situation of children and so on,” he added.
He also explained that initiative would be community based, with states governments taking the centre stage.
The UNICEF official added that the programme would be expanded to other communities in other states based on its workability.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the review meeting had participants from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), from Plateau and Bauchi states. (NAN)