Bauchi Gov's wife seeks partnership with UNICEF on women empowerment

Abubakar sought the partnership while delivering a goodwill message at the Government/UNICEF midyear review meeting with Bauchi and Gombe states organised by UNICEF in Bauchi.

The governor’s wife said that she was particularly interested in partnering with UNICEF personally as well as her NGO, “B-SWEEP”, which was initiated to uplift the living standard of women and children in the state.

“B-SWEEP is creating income generation for women, re-integration of girls and women dropouts back to formal school system, maternal and child health, participation of women in agriculture especially in the rural areas and peace awareness.

“The focal point of UNICEF is on the same line with my efforts towards uplifting the economic living standard of women by providing them with income generating skills so that they can be self-reliant.

“I am also interested in the area of maternal and child health care, especially with the indices for maternal and infant morbidity which is not encouraging in Bauchi state and the North East region,” Abubakar said.

The wife of the governor appreciated efforts by UNICEF in providing humanitarian services to people of the state.

Abubakar said that passion for women empowerment and vulnerable groups in the state stimulated her to initiate B-SWEEP.

Earlier, the Chief, UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office, Dr Abdulai Kaikai, said that EU and UNICEF had budgeted about N20 billion to rehabilitate healthcare centres in Adamawa, Bauchi and Kebbi states.

Kaikai said that the project was under EU and UNICEF Strengthen Primary Health Care and Community Resilience for Improved Maternal, New Born Child Health and Nutrition Outcomes (MNCHN).

“162 health centres will be taken care of between now and the next three years and we want to have one functional health facility in each of the 323 wards in terms of basic facilities.

“When completed the centers will offer 24 hours service to mothers and children which will include nutritional, polio immunisation, birth registration, quality education and child protection,’’ he said.