The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its commitment to continue to give support to the Niger government in the five focal sectors of its intervention in the state.
Dr Zakari Adam, Chief Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, in charge of Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, said this during the 2019 End of Year Review and Planning Meeting in Minna on Tuesday.
He said that UNICEF had achieved great success in the area of its intervention such as health, education, water, sanitation, nutrition, urging the state government to be more committed to attain better results.
“UNICEF will continue to provide technical support to the government especially in the area of education and other sectors.
“We are advocating for government to be more concerned and realize the importance of investing in critical sectors that has to do with children’s development,” he said.
He called on the state government to be prompt in payment of counterpart fund to actualize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In his remarks, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), commended UNICEF for its intervention in health, education, nutrition, and child protection and urged the development partners not relent.
He said that the state government had reflected on the challenges of payment of counterpart contribution, adding that a more strategic pathway would be adopted in dealing with the issue.
Matane called on the state planning commission to ensure the attainment of SDGs goals in the state.
