2027 Election: Media Urged to Demand Greater Public Financing, Accountability for Children

From Paul Orude Bauchi

As the 2027 general elections draw closer, media practitioners have been urged to use their platforms to advocate for adequate public financing for children’s welfare and ensure that issues affecting children remain a priority in government policies and budgets.

The call was made at a one-day Media Dialogue on Public Finance for Children organised by the Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry for Budget and Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office.

The dialogue, held at Yimir Hotel, Bauchi, on  , was part of UNICEF’s advocacy efforts to strengthen public financing for children and attracted 60 media practitioners from Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Bauchi Radio Corporation and Zonal Chairman, Zone B, of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Umar Muhammad Shira, said the media had a critical social responsibility to champion the rights, health and welfare of children.

“As working partners with UNICEF, the media has a critical social responsibility to remain vanguards for the rights, health and welfare of children,” Shira said.

“We must use our platforms to advocate for adequate public financing of children’s health and ensure that child health remains a priority in government policies and budgets.

“Every child deserves access to quality and affordable healthcare, regardless of their location or family background.

“Through responsible reporting, investigative journalism, public enlightenment and constructive engagement with policymakers, the media can help expose funding gaps, amplify the voices of vulnerable children and hold duty-bearers accountable.

“Investing in children’s health is not simply an expenditure; it is an investment in the future of our society. When we finance children’s health today, we secure a healthier, stronger and more productive generation tomorrow.

“As partners with UNICEF, let us renew our commitment to making the rights and welfare of every child a sustained priority in our newsrooms and across our media platforms.”

Shira urged media practitioners to take advantage of the opportunities provided by their profession and commit their energies to pushing for better policies, particularly those affecting children.

In her opening remarks, the Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, said social policy was critical to improving the wellbeing of children.

Rafique, who was represented by Abdulrahman Ado, Education Specialist and Officer-in-Charge of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, said the approaching 2027 elections provided an opportunity for the media to place issues affecting children at the centre of public discourse.

“We know where we are heading to; electioneering is on the way. Let’s talk about financing for children. The media is key to understanding our mission at this time as you engage the government, politicians and candidates,” she said.

She urged journalists to maintain their position as advocates for children by asking candidates and policymakers critical questions on their plans for the social sector.

“Public finance for children is key as we address issues surrounding out-of-school children, stigmatisation and other challenges affecting children,” she said.

According to her, UNICEF and other development partners would continue to support and advocate for the government, but their financial contributions remained small compared with the resources available to the government.

“A huge amount of money is allocated, but what about the impact? Policymakers and the media should ask questions to understand the reality so that in subsequent interactions with policymakers and candidates, we will know the plans they have for the social sector, including child protection and health,” she said.