By Victor Nwegede
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has charged UNICEF and other development partners to prioritize accurate, community-level data as the foundation for effective child-focused interventions, following revelations that more than 417,000 children under five in the state are living with anemia.
The governor made the call on Friday in Abakaliki during a courtesy visit by a UNICEF delegation led by Ms. Judith Leveille, Chief of Field Services, who oversees UNICEF’s seven field offices and emergency operations in Nigeria.
Governor Nwifuru stressed that weak and assumption-based data undermine policy decisions, resource allocation, and public confidence, insisting that interventions must be driven by verifiable evidence generated from primary health centres and local communities.
“If the data is wrong, the decisions will fail.
"We must stop working with assumptions. We need credible, grassroots data that reflects realities in our villages and homes," the governor said.
Governor Nwifuru acknowledged UNICEF as a credible partner but reiterated that transparency, accountability and locally driven procurement processes must guide all interventions.
He emphasized the need to reduce excessive spending on consultancy and administration, insisting that investments must translate into visible impact at primary health facilities.
The governor pledged continued collaboration with UNICEF while reaffirming his administration’s resolve to reform data collection systems, strengthen health infrastructure, and ensure that every naira spent delivers measurable benefits to Ebonyi’s children.
Earlier, Ms. Leveille commended the Ebonyi State Government for its growing commitment to child welfare, describing discussions with the executive and legislative arms as “fruitful and productive.”
She said UNICEF remains committed to strengthening collaboration with the state to improve outcomes in health, nutrition, birth registration, water, sanitation and hygiene.
According to her, UNICEF has transferred over $1 million to Ebonyi State in the past two years to support child-centred programmes, including immunization, nutrition, civil registration and health system strengthening.
She highlighted progress in birth registration through partnerships with the National Population Commission, local governments and technology firms, noting that about 600 children are born daily in the state.
However, she warned that recent data trends remain troubling, saying the UNICEF findings indicated that one in three children under five in Ebonyi is stunted, while more than 417,000 children are anemic, a condition linked to inadequate nutrition and poor early childhood care.
Leveille described stunting as a form of chronic malnutrition that permanently limits physical growth and brain development if not addressed within the first 1,000 days of life from conception to age two.
She also commended the state’s commitment of ₦150 million to the Child Nutrition Fund, matched by UNICEF, calling it a critical step toward preventing stunting and malnutrition.
She urged the state to institutionalize annual funding for the programme and ensure timely distribution of life-saving nutritional supplements before expiry.
Beyond nutrition, UNICEF raised concerns over low immunization coverage, poor breastfeeding practices, inadequate sanitation, and persistent open defecation affecting over 2.5 million residents, warning of heightened risks of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
Victor Nwegede
