The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on Nigerian journalists to make children’s welfare a major issue in the 2027 elections by demanding concrete commitments from political parties and candidates on education, healthcare and child protection.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, made the call during a one-day Media Dialogue on Public Finance for Children organised by the Bauchi State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination in collaboration with UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office.
Rafique, who was represented by UNICEF Education Specialist and Officer-in-Charge, Abdulrahman Ado, said the 2027 election season offered the media an opportunity to shape political discourse and ensure that issues affecting children received adequate attention.
She urged journalists to engage political parties, candidates and policymakers on their plans to improve public financing for the social sector and translate budgetary commitments into better outcomes for children.
According to her, effective public financing was essential to tackling persistent challenges, including the rising number of out-of-school children, child protection concerns and stigmatisation.
Rafique noted that although UNICEF and other development partners continued to support government programmes, their financial contributions remained relatively small compared with the resources available to governments.
She therefore urged the media to go beyond reporting budget allocations by investigating whether funds earmarked for children were actually released, properly utilised and producing the desired impact.
“Journalists should use their interactions with political candidates and policymakers to establish their plans for child health, protection, education and other areas of the social sector,” she said.
The UNICEF official also encouraged journalists to adopt investigative and evidence-based reporting to expose funding gaps, amplify the concerns of vulnerable children and promote accountability in public spending.
The dialogue, held at Yimir Hotel, Bauchi, was attended by 60 media practitioners from Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director of the Bauchi Radio Corporation and Zonal Chairman, Zone B, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Umar Muhammad Shira, said the media had a crucial role to play in protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of children.
Shira urged journalists to demand adequate budgetary provisions for children’s healthcare and other essential services, stressing that every child deserved access to quality and affordable healthcare irrespective of location or family background.
He said responsible journalism, investigative reporting and constructive engagement with policymakers could help expose deficiencies in public funding and strengthen accountability.
Shira described investment in children as an investment in the future, saying prioritising their welfare would contribute significantly to the long-term development of society.
