2021 MICs, NICS Reports: UNICEF tasks Bauchi stakeholders to double efforts in changing poor indices

SELYA YARNAP, Bauchi 

The United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF) has charged stakeholders in Bauchi State to double up their efforts in changing the poor indices of the state contained in the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) reports.

The UNICEF planning and Monitoring Specialist, Mr Stanley Garuba stated this during a one day sensitization on the 2021 MICS and NICS Reports Bauchi Dissemination organized by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in collaboration with Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF, held at the Hazibal Hotel and Suites in Bauchi.

He said that the data for Bauchi State as contained in the 2021 MICS and NICS report is the real situation of the state, hence all hands must be on deck to improve upon the reports.

According to him, “We have some good figures and we also have some that are not so good. So, we want to know why some of these indices are not very good, we have to look at it.

“Could it be wrong identification of application of funds, could it be non-application, could it be wrong identification of where to apply the funds? It is only when these questions are answered that we can make progress as a state”.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Aminu Hamayyo stated that the recently released result of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) that was produced by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and sponsored by UNICEF shows that more efforts need to be in place to improve the poor indices of the state.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Idris Saleh,  he commended UNICEF for the reports which he said was timely considering that the state is at the process of preparing the 2023 appropriation bill.

According to him, the figures contained in the reports will be studied to serve as a guide for the government while planning what to do for the development of the state and the citizens.

He advised all the relevant MDAs to carefully study the reports which is the current statistics to be used in planning while developing their submissions for the 2023 fiscal year.

Other partners  in goodwill messages which  include WHO and UNFPA stressed the importance of the reports in aiding government to plan its programmes aimed at developing the state through provisions of basic social services like quality healthcare, education and others.

The State Coordinator of WHO, Dr Mahmud Sa’idu expressed optimism that with the reports, the state will be able to effectively plan its healthcare delivery services in order to bridge the noticed gaps, assuring that the WHO will continue to support the state in its resolve to improve healthcare delivery services as well as during rapid response time.

Deborah Tamara who is a Gender/Reproductive Health Analyst stressed the importance of having near accurate figures that can be used for planning for the girl child in accessing quality healthcare service and education.

On the part of UNFPA, the State Programme Officer, Tamara while commending UNICEF for the reports, stressed that it should afford the government the opportunity to plan on how to mitigate on gender based violence in the state.

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