Enugu lauds UNICEF’s support as consultations begin on 2028–2032 country programme

The Enugu State Economic Planning Commission has commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for its sustained support in improving the lives of children and women in Enugu State and across Nigeria.

Nnanyelugo Dan Onyishi, executive secretary of the Commission, represented by Nzekwe Herriattta, HoD, Donor/M&E Department, gave the commendation during a one-day consultation meeting on the development of UNICEF Nigeria’s 2028–2032 Country Programme Document (CPD), organized in collaboration with the Ministry for Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships (CAP) section in Enugu.

Onyishi described the consultation as an important opportunity for stakeholders to assess progress made in advancing children’s welfare, identify persistent challenges affecting children and communities, and jointly define practical, evidence-based priorities for the next programme cycle.
He said that the proposed programme would focus on transformative strategies capable of delivering sustainable results through policy advocacy, systems strengthening and multi-sectoral partnerships, while remaining flexible enough to respond to emerging challenges.

According to him, the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission, as the coordinating institution for development planning in the state, recognises that sustainable development can only be achieved through strong partnerships, inclusive dialogue and evidence-based decision-making.

He urged participants to remain committed to the shared goal of ensuring that every child survives, thrives and achieves his or her full potential.

“The outcome of this consultation should not only inform UNICEF’s programme but also strengthen our collective efforts to achieve inclusive and sustainable development,” he added.

Onyishi also stressed the need for governments at all levels to increase domestic funding for child-focused interventions instead of relying heavily on development partners.

“As we identify the challenges across our various sectors, we must also begin to make provisions for them in our state budgets. We should not continue to depend solely on development partners.

These priorities must become part of our own development planning and budgeting process,” he said.

Maureen Zubie Okolo, planning and monitoring specialist at UNICEF’s Enugu Field Office, while speaking at the event, said the Country Programme Document serves as the strategic framework guiding UNICEF’s support to the Government of Nigeria in promoting the rights and well-being of children and women.

She explained that UNICEF is currently developing the 2028–2032 CPD through consultations with stakeholders at both national and sub-national levels to ensure alignment with government priorities and global development frameworks.
According to Okolo, the new programme will align with the African Agenda, the UNICEF Strategic Plan (2026–2029), and Nigeria’s National Development Plan.
She said that the planning process comprises four key phases: Evidence Synthesis, Prioritisation, Theory of Change (ToC), and the Results and Resources Plan.
“We are currently in the Evidence Synthesis and Theory of Change phase, with consultations taking place at the national and sub-national levels. The process builds on lessons from the 2023–2027 programme cycle and is guided by updated evidence and extensive stakeholder engagement,” she said.
Okolo noted that the 2028–2032 Country Programme would reflect emerging realities, including changes in financing and institutional reforms, while prioritising high-impact interventions through policy advocacy, systems strengthening and multi-sectoral collaboration.
She added that UNICEF’s Enugu Field Office is engaging stakeholders from priority states to review evidence, identify the most critical deprivations and rights violations affecting children, analyse barriers and bottlenecks, and recommend solutions capable of delivering impact at scale.
According to her, technical sessions were held by the Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Social Policy, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC), and Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships (CAP) sections to identify and prioritise key issues affecting children.
She explained that CAP serves as a cross-cutting function supporting the achievement of all programme outcomes under the UNICEF Nigeria Country Programme by providing strategic communication, evidence generation, advocacy, resource mobilisation and partnership coordination to accelerate results for children.