More than half a million children in Oyo State are grappling with poverty, lacking daily access to basic social services. Nationally, these numbers are even more staggering, underscoring the critical need for stakeholders and state governments to act decisively.
Even more importantly – Increased funding and strategic budgeting are essentials to improving social outcomes across various states.
This pressing issue was at the heart of a meeting on Wednesday, June 5, in Ibadan, between the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and key stakeholders, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF Chief of the Lagos Field Office, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, viewed the Advocacy Dialogue with Policy Makers as an opportunity to deepen the partnership between UNICEF and Oyo State, aiming to accelerate development, particularly for children, who constitute about 3.5 million of the state’s population.
UNICEF Advocates Increased Budget Allocation to Improve Child Welfare
Ms. Lafoucriere emphasized that prioritizing the well-being of children, adolescents, and young people is crucial to providing them with a fair chance at better, safer lives. This includes alleviating poverty and expanding access to essential social services such as health, nutrition, sanitation, water, and education, including digital learning to prepare them for the 21st century. She noted:
“On systems strengthening, UNICEF has supported the state in generating evidence on child poverty and deprivation through the Situation Analysis of Women and Children (SITAN). We have improved development planning, budgeting, and public financial management systems, including the vision document (Agenda 2040), the 5-year Medium Term State Development Plan (MTSDP) recently approved by the Executive Governor, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), and the development and launch of the Social Protection Policy.”
Ms. Lafoucriere called for increased government budgeting to enhance the outcomes pursued by the UN agency.
Oyo State Government Commits to Strengthening Health and Education Outcomes
The Oyo State Government reiterated its commitment to improving financial metrics related to the health and education outcomes of children, adolescents, and women. The Head of Service, Mrs. Olubunmi Oni, opened the discussions, praising the enduring collaboration between UNICEF and Oyo State, as well as Nigeria, in reducing poverty and providing transformative access for children, women, and adolescents.
Her message as delivered by her representative, the Permanent Secretary for Service Matters, Mr. Paul Oyekunle – committed to collaborations and improved counterpart funding to boost social outcomes for those kids, adolescents and women.
In the same breadth, senior civil service officials, including the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, represented by Special Assistant Mr. Simeon Oyeleke, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Sunday Ojelabi, emphasized the necessity of collective efforts to sustain the partnership with UNICEF.
Other Concerns
Reflecting on the 2022 Multidimensional Child Poverty Report, Oyo State’s incidence of monetary child poverty stands at 13.2%, with multidimensional child deprivations at 33.0%.
The discussions at the event is expected to achieve several critical objectives:
– Evidence-based and demand-driven investments focused on achieving greater results for children. The government’s commitment will be visible in improved budget allocation, release, and implementation for child-focused interventions, alongside overall improvements in budget credibility and accountability.
– Annual plans and budgets of MDAs should be informed by the State Development Plan and contribute to the government’s long-term vision, facilitating easier monitoring and evaluation of governmental impact on investments.
– Enhanced collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) in the state, serving as agents for voice and accountability.
– Prompt release of counterpart funding for activities supported by development partners, demonstrating the government’s commitment.
