By Becky Maina
With millions of children still facing challenges in accessing quality education, healthcare, nutrition and other basic services, the need for stronger public investment and greater accountability in government spending on children has come under focus at a one-day media dialogue on Public Financing for Children.
Organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, for journalists from Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau States, the dialogue challenged media practitioners to go beyond reporting political promises and budget allocations by tracking funding, implementation and the impact of government programmes on children.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, Dr Nuzhat Rafiq, represented by UNICEF Education Specialist, Abdulrahman Ado, said journalists had an important role to play in improving government budgets, ensuring timely release of funds and monitoring programmes targeting children and women.
She urged journalists to use the political and election period to question candidates about their plans for children, how the plans would be financed and how the funds would reach vulnerable children and communities.
Rafiq said issues such as out-of-school children, malnutrition, poor healthcare services and limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene continued to affect families.
She therefore called for non-partisan reporting that focuses on children’s rights, government commitments, public funding and measurable results rather than political personalities and affiliations.
Also speaking, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Yusuf Auta, said investment in children should begin from conception and continue throughout childhood.
He stressed the importance of adequate funding for maternal and newborn healthcare, saying every child has the right to be born in a safe and healthy environment.
Auta urged journalists to track the budget process from allocation and release of funds to utilisation and results, to determine whether government commitments are translating into improved services for children.
Presenting a framework for media accountability, Dr Ali Dankumo called on journalists to make children a central issue of political accountability, particularly during election campaigns.
He urged media practitioners to examine candidates’ manifestos and demand clear proposals on education, out-of-school children, maternal and child healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection, disability inclusion, social protection, girls’ education and youth development.
Dankumo said every major promise affecting children should be accompanied by questions on what it would cost, where the money would come from, how much government would contribute, how many children would benefit and when implementation would begin.
He also encouraged journalists to report positive stories of resilience, successful interventions and solutions that are improving the lives of children and families, while providing platforms for government, civil society, academia and communities to discuss workable solutions.
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of Bauchi Radio Corporation, Umar Muhammad Shira, called on journalists to use their platforms to advocate for better policies and increased investment in children’s health and welfare.
He described investment in children’s health as an investment in the future of society, stressing that adequate financing would contribute to building a healthier, stronger and more productive generation.
The dialogue also emphasised the importance of journalism ethics, including truth and accuracy, independence, fairness, accountability and minimising harm, particularly when reporting issues involving children and vulnerable families.
For the media, the solution lies in moving beyond simply reporting what governments promise or allocate to asking whether the money is released, how it is spent, who benefits and what changes are achieved.
By following the money and measuring results, journalists can help turn children’s budget promises into tangible improvements in their lives.