From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau
Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara state has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNICEF in a bid to enhance social services comprising routine immunization, antenatal care, exclusive breast feeding, net school enrolment, hygiene and safe drinking water amongst others.
Other signatories of the MoU were the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zamfara state council, religious organisations and the State Council of Chiefs organised to switch on a five year Advocacy and Community Engagement Action Plan from 2018 to 2022 aiming at ensuring public awareness on the importance of enhancing social services in the state.
Governor Yari, who was represented by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Mujtaba Isa, assured maximum and required support towards making affected sectors developed with a view to address stirring issues pertaining education, health and water resources.
Earlier, the Chief of UNICEF Sokoto field office, Alhaji Mohammad Mohiuddin assured support and empowerment for the traditional institutions to take responsibility for community mobilization and enhancing the demand for basic social services and behavioural change among the communities.
Adding that, the partnership agreement signed with the media would facilitate the propel of the most needed and educative information to filter down to hard to reach areas and numerous targeted communities that were socially excluded to benefit the goals embarked upon by the UNICEF across the 14 local government councils of the state.
According to Mohiuddin, religious leaders that comprised of Muslims and Christians have formidable opportunities to promote among the targeted communities the importance of conducting six months breastfeeding by nursing mothers, nutrition, handwashing, safe drinking water and hygiene, education and child protection.
