UNICEF expends $90 million in six states

UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office has declared that in spite of the successes achieved in its various interventions especially in Jigawa State, it is still facing some challenges as regards counterpart funding from the Gombe State Government.

The declaration was made by the Chief Field Officer, UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office, Mr. Bhanu Pathak who commended the six States under its field office for their contribution towards the implementation of its programmes worth $90million in 2018.

Bhanu Pathak stated this during the opening ceremony of the 2018 End of Year Review and 2019 Planning Meeting for States supported by the Bauchi Field Office held at Emerald Hotel Gombe.

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Other States the Bauchi Field Office cover in its work are Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba States.

According to Bhanu Pathak, the support and programmes executed in the states were all aimed at improving the living standard of Children in the areas of water and sanitation, education, health and nutrition using Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s).

On the challenges the UNICEF faced in Gombe State according to the Chief of Field Office are, “You can see that we are not up to the satisfactory level, however, we have received good counterpart funding in Jigawa, in Gombe there are issues, we are still trying our best but we are struggling with counterpart funding”.

He said that UNICEF has within the period under review achieved 95 percent of its mandate in the six states with the support and cooperation of states governments and there implementing Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Efforts to get officials of the Gombe State Government that attended the meeting to react to the claim by UNICEF Chief proved abortive as non of them were ready to comment on the issue.