Jigawa State government has commended United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) on its various humanitarian interventions spanning over 30 years and contribution to the improvement of health, social and economic indices in the state.
The state governor, Malam Umar Namadi, made the commendation when he received the UNICEF country director Madam Christian Monduate and her team during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Dutse.
He said UNICEF intervention is the oldest and consistent partners’ intervention in the state and has changed the narratives to good ones.
“The UNICEF intervention in water and sanitation made the state to achieve over 97 percent access to clean drinking water, the first state to declare free open defecation, improve in the reduction of maternal and child death, improve on vaccine coverage, improve girl-child education and addressing out of school children.
“Recently UNICEF provided intervention for enhancing our public service delivery and promoting accountability, in fact we remain very grateful as we anticipated more support and intervention in our quest to improve the quality of life of our citizens in all ramifications,” the governor declared.
In her speech during the visit, the UNICEF country director Madam Christian Monduate commended the state government for providing enabling environment for partners intervention, “in fact you’re cooperating and demonstrating a sincere commitment in all our engagement and agreement”.
“As you are aware UNICEF have been given intervention on maternal and child health, nutrition, girl-child education, water and sanitation, good governance, in which a lot have been achieved, we hope you will maintain the tempo.
“On the current diphtheria outbreak in some states of Nigeria, in which Jigawa State also reported over 100 suspected cases with three suspected deaths, we have donated 3.1 diphtheria vaccine dosage for tackling the scourge.