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- Holds 2023 End-of-Year Review Meeting for Bauchi Field Office
From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called upon the government and stakeholders to embrace a multidimensional approach to tackling issues affecting children.
They also emphasised the need for a strengthened Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework for better results and optimum impact of intervention programs and efforts.
The call was made by the Officer In Charge (OIC) the UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, while speaking with a journalist during the 2023 end-of-year review meeting that was organised by UNICEF for states covered by the Bauchi field office. The meeting which was held in Gombe had representatives and other stakeholders from Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, and Plateau states.
According to him, the meeting was to review the progress made in the different areas of UNICEF’s work in the Bauchi field office. The participants discussed the successes and challenges faced in the different programs and initiatives implemented by UNICEF. Mr. Adams explained that the review meeting was a reminder of the importance of collaboration and partnership in achieving UNICEF’s goals of ensuring a better future for children.
He disclosed that with the continued support from UNICEF and cooperation from all stakeholders the states within the Bauchi field office were able to achieve a lot and make a positive impact on the lives of the most vulnerable children and families in the year under review. However, the OIC noted that a lot needs to be done to address challenges being faced by children in the region, especially the issues of poverty, water and hygiene as well as access to education, and health.
He acknowledged that the challenges cannot be fully addressed by a single approach. Instead, a multidimensional approach is necessary. He said that the government and other stakeholders must understand that children’s needs are interconnected and require a comprehensive response that addresses various sectors, including health, education, environment water, sanitation, and hygiene as well as protection. “Going forward we need to develop an approach that recognises such to be able to tackle such issues affecting children”.
Mr Adams added the data from the review had uncovered the need for better and strengthened monitoring and evaluation to measure the impact and successes of various intervention programs and initiatives. He emphasised monitoring and evaluation serve as an important tools to track progress, identify gaps, and adjust strategies to ensure better outcomes for children.
The OIC further revealed that the team recorded significant progress in terms of the formulation of policies and other initiatives as well as implementation to address the critical and diverse challenges facing children. It is a call to action for governments. He added the review meeting has provided a platform for the team to better plan and work more towards creating a better future for every child.
