The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the governments of the five South East states in Nigeria to place a higher priority on social sector budgeting, emphasizing the necessity of improving the lives of ordinary people. This appeal was made during the South-East Zonal Policy Dialogue on Social Budgeting held in Awka, where various stakeholders gathered to discuss the issue.
Dr. Olusoji Akinleye, the Officer in Charge of the UNICEF Field Office in Enugu, addressed the participants, highlighting the importance of utilizing public sector resources effectively to make a tangible difference in the lives of citizens. He underscored that the primary objective of the dialogue was to foster the exchange of ideas and strategies among policymakers, enabling them to tackle the challenges associated with social budgeting.
The event saw the participation of State Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries from key sectors such as health, local government affairs, women and social welfare, and economic planning, alongside the chairmen of appropriation committees from the Houses of Assembly of the five states. This diverse assembly aimed to create a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices.
Dr. Akinleye articulated the core purpose of the dialogue: “The aim is to ensure that available public sector resources are utilized in a way that directly impacts the lives of ordinary people, particularly in critical areas such as health, education, child protection, and water and sanitation services. It’s essential that these sectors receive adequate budgetary provisions to guarantee that the public feels the government’s impact.”
He elaborated on the UNICEF framework for Public Financing for Children (Pf4C), within which the dialogue was conceptualized. This initiative comes at a crucial time as the states begin formulating their 2025 budgets. Dr. Akinleye stressed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting governments in identifying and prioritizing budget areas that enhance human capacity development and support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to the rights and well-being of children.
“Our focus is on supporting the identification and inclusion of priority areas in the budget that promote human capacity development and support the SDGs. This dialogue aims to encourage states to collaboratively establish paths for adequate and sustainable financing, particularly for social sectors. Through this platform, we hope states can share ideas, discuss challenges, and highlight best practices related to budget formulation and implementation, addressing key bottlenecks faced by sector MDAs and proposing policy solutions to overcome these barriers.”
He expressed optimism that the states’ commitment to this process would result in improved programming efficiency, value for money, capacity building, and better budget outcomes, especially for children.
Adding to the discourse, Mohammed Fall, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, emphasized the need to accelerate progress in the states. He advised governments to enhance their efforts in areas such as immunization and school enrollment, and to ensure the provision of other essential social services. Fall urged policymakers to devise comprehensive plans that incorporate the private sector, traditional institutions, women’s organizations, and faith-based leaders into their development programs, thereby fostering the overall well-being of the region.
Fall’s call to action was clear: “Governments need to do everything within their power to increase immunization rates, boost school enrollment, and address other social needs. This requires a collaborative approach that includes all sectors of society—private enterprises, traditional leaders, women’s groups, and faith-based organizations must all be part of the development agenda.”
The dialogue concluded with a collective commitment from the participants to prioritize social sector budgeting, aiming for a significant increase in budgetary allocations to these critical areas. The emphasis on a collaborative approach highlighted the understanding that achieving sustainable development and improving the lives of citizens requires the concerted effort of all stakeholders involved.
This event marks a significant step towards ensuring that government resources are effectively used to improve public welfare, particularly in health, education, and other social services. By fostering dialogue and collaboration among policymakers, UNICEF hopes to create a more inclusive and impactful budgeting process that will ultimately lead to better outcomes for the region’s most vulnerable populations.
