Media, Govt, UNICEF Seek Stronger Solutions to Gaps in Child-Focused Service Delivery in Kaduna

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna 

Stakeholders in the media, government, and development sector have identified persistent gaps in access to quality education, healthcare, nutrition, and child protection services in Kaduna State.

These gaps were identified during a one-day strategic engagement with the media, organised by the Kaduna State Ministry of Information with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The engagement, held in Zaria, was designed not only to highlight ongoing interventions under UNICEF’s framework, but also to interrogate existing challenges, strengthen accountability, and agree on practical solutions through more purposeful media engagement.

Opening the discussions, the Commissioner for Information, Kaduna State, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki, said the media must move beyond routine event coverage to interrogate development gaps and drive public discourse around solutions.

“As the Fourth Estate of the Realm, our responsibility goes beyond reporting events. We must consistently promote critical issues that affect the wellbeing of our people, especially children.

“Education, health, and nutrition are not abstract concepts; they are daily realities that require sustained attention, evidence-based reporting, and public accountability,” he said.

Maiyaki acknowledged ongoing concerns around learning outcomes, access to quality healthcare, and child nutrition, noting that government has responded by prioritising these sectors through deliberate policy and budgetary actions. 

He pointed out that Kaduna State has consistently allocated 25 per cent of its budget to education over the last four years and maintained a minimum of 15 per cent allocation to health, in line with continental commitments.

To address malnutrition, the Commissioner said the state established a first-line charge for child nutrition, a move aimed at ensuring predictable and sustained funding for life-saving nutrition interventions.

“The challenge is not only investment, but also ensuring that citizens understand these efforts, access the services, and hold institutions accountable. This is where the media becomes indispensable,” he added.

In his remarks, Dr. Idris Baba, Officer-in-Charge of the UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, said one of the major concerns in development work is the weak use of evidence to drive public understanding and policy decisions.

“UNICEF’s contribution, like that of other partners, is small compared to government resources. 

“The real solution lies in government ownership and the effective use of data and evidence to show what works,” he said.

Dr. Baba cited the state’s ₦400 million Child Nutrition Fund, supported by UNICEF, as a practical response to child malnutrition, explaining that documented evidence of impact has already saved lives and encouraged further investment.

He stressed that inadequate visibility of results remains a challenge, often limiting additional donor support.

“Partners such as FCDO, the Canadian government, and other donors rely on evidence of impact before committing resources. If results are not documented and communicated, support will decline,” he warned.

According to him, the solution lies in strengthened collaboration with the media to humanise data, tell children’s stories, and track outcomes of public investments.

Participants at the engagement agreed that stronger media access to data, improved understanding of UNICEF and government programmes, and continuous capacity building for journalists are critical steps toward addressing misinformation, improving service uptake, and sustaining political commitment to child-focused development.

The engagement concluded with a shared resolve to use solution-oriented journalism to spotlight gaps, promote evidence-based interventions, and keep children’s rights and wellbeing at the centre of public discourse and policy action in Kaduna State.