The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged media practitioners to use the 2027 election season to place children’s welfare at the centre of political campaigns and demand clear commitments from candidates on funding for 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, Bauchi Field Office.
Rafique, who was represented by the Education Specialist and Officer-in-Charge, Abdulrahman Ado, said the approaching 2027 elections presented an opportunity for journalists to influence political discourse by ensuring that issues affecting children were not overlooked.
She urged journalists to question political parties, candidates and policymakers on their plans to improve public financing for the social sector and ensure better outcomes for children.
According to her, adequate and effective public financing remains critical to addressing challenges such as out-of-school children, child protection concerns and stigmatisation.
Rafique noted that while UNICEF and other development partners continued to support government programmes, their financial contributions remained small compared with the resources available to governments.
She therefore challenged the media to move beyond reporting budget allocations to investigating whether funds earmarked for children were actually being released, spent appropriately and producing the intended results.
“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 the media to use investigative and evidence-based reporting to expose funding gaps, highlight the concerns of vulnerable children and promote greater accountability in public spending.
The dialogue, held at Yimir Hotel, Bauchi, brought together 60 media practitioners from Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states.
Speaking at the event, the 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 responsibility to protect and promote the rights and welfare of children.
Shira called on 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 regardless of location or family background.
He said responsible journalism, investigative reporting and constructive engagement with policymakers could help expose funding deficiencies and strengthen accountability.
Shira described investment in children as an investment in the future development of society.
