The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative for the South west states, Ms Cristian Manduate, has hinted that half a million children lacks access to basic services such as water, nutrition, health and education in Oyo state.
Ms Manduate stated this at an engagement with accounting officers in the UNICEF Line and MDAs and other relevant stakeholders, organised by the Oyo state Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with UNICEF, held at the Ibadan Business School, Old Bodija, Ibadan.
The UNICEF representative said there is the need for the Oyo state government to prioritise children’s well-being in budget planning and implementation and ensure children’s rights and fair chances in the state.
She also called for intensified efforts to make sure budget disbursements effectively reach children in need.
“We still have half a million children in the state which are deprived that need to be lifted out of poverty, that need to have access to basic social services. We will not be there until the children are lifted out of poverty,” she said.
Ms Manduate added: “Our role as UNICEF is to ensure we support for a better understanding of what children are for a country. Oyo state is a priority state for UNICEF and as a focus state we have a long standing relationship with government of Oyo state.
“UNICEF is here to support the Oyo state government to develop their budget planning and implementation in support of children’s access to basic social services,” she said.
