UNICEF to invest $16m to promote children's rights in Oyo
According to UNICEF, the investment aims to improve healthcare, education, and protection for children in the state. The investment will be used to implement a three-year working plan in the state with a focus on achieving the rights of children.
However, in 2025 alone, UNICEF has committed to spending $5.2 million on activities supporting children's rights in the state.
Kolawole Bello, the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this while giving a remark during "A Child Rights Advocacy Dialogue with all the 33 local government Chairmen in Oyo State".
The dialogue, which was held at the Plaza D' Aruna Hotel, Oyo Town, aimed at getting the Council Chairmen to "prioritise children, plan for children, budget for children and spend for children from bottom up in view of the autonomy granted to LGAs in terms of allocations."
Bello , who represented the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musbau Babatunde, said the state government is committed to working with UNICEF to ensure the rights of children are met.
The governor’s aide underscored the importance of local governments in implementing initiatives that benefit children, noting that they are the closest tier of government to the people.
"As we all know, the local government is the closest government to the people. It's the government at the grassroots level. Whatever intervention or initiative by the government or development partners like UNICEF want to implement is better. It's implemented in collaboration with the local government and in fact, getting the buy-in of the local government for the activities or the intervention to have the impact that we all expected.
"We are gathered here to ensure that our local governments collaborate with the state government and UNICEF to ensure the rights of the child. It's rights like education, health, protection and other social issues. And it is better implemented at that level of local government considering the location of the people and the closeness of that, the territorial government to those benefits. But when we talk of the rights of the child, we look at that right from pregnancy.
"UNICEF has a three-year working implementation plan in Oyo State. There is about over $16 million to be spent over the three years. However, in 2025 alone, UNICEF has pledged to commit over $5.2million to its activities to support the activities in Oyo State’’, he said.
Okorie said, "Without realising the fact that we cannot make meaningful inroads without getting in touch and getting the commitment of that third tier of government that is closer to the people, closer to the grassroots, where the key actions that are geared towards fulfilment of the right of the child is taking place, we can't move an inch.
"And that's why we have decided that it is high time we brought together all the local government chairmen to again reiterate and discuss with them what are those key child rights issues which they know.
"But we also needed to provide them with some evidence to show that the number of children you have in the states, which is above three million, is a significant number that we must all strive and work together to achieve their rights. And within these numbers, in terms of achievement of the rights of the child, we can say for sure that while they are making improvements, that there is a long way to go.
"And this parley is really very critical so that we can come up with key strategies that ensure greater partnership for us to work together to achieve these rights."
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of Chairmen, Sikiru Sanda, the Chairman of Oyo East LGA, Mr Salami Akeem commended the initiative and assured that the council boss will do the needful to ensure the rights of children are better improved through the right budgetary allocations.
