Saeed Says Sustained Investment in Education, Child Nutrition and Healthcare Can Deepen Human Development in Enugu.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform — September 30, 2026
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Enugu State Government for consistently allocating more than 33 per cent of its budget to education, describing the investment as a strong commitment to the future of children in the state.
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, gave the commendation on Tuesday when she led a delegation of the organisation on a courtesy visit to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah at the Government House, Enugu.
Saeed said the level of investment demonstrated by the state government presented an opportunity for UNICEF to deepen its partnership with Enugu, particularly in education, child nutrition, healthcare and other areas of human development.
According to her, UNICEF has been advocating that governments allocate between 15 and 20 per cent of their budgets to education, making Enugu’s commitment of about one-third of its budget a significant prioritisation of the sector.
She noted that UNICEF was prepared to bring its global experience, technical expertise and knowledge to support the state in scaling up and sustaining its interventions, particularly those targeted at children and vulnerable communities.
Responding, Governor Mbah said Enugu was looking forward to a more practical and strategic partnership with UNICEF, stressing that the organisation’s experience would help the state strengthen its social-sector programmes and minimise unnecessary trial and error.
The Governor reiterated that human development remains central to his administration’s development agenda, maintaining that economic growth must go hand in hand with investments in education, healthcare and other social services.
Mbah also highlighted the state’s 10-year Education Plan, early childhood development initiatives and the Smart Green Schools programme, which he said were designed to equip children with skills relevant to the demands of the modern economy.
On healthcare, the Governor noted the administration’s investment in Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state’s wards, while acknowledging areas where UNICEF has already provided support, including solar power interventions at some healthcare facilities.
The engagement is expected to further strengthen collaboration between UNICEF and the Enugu State Government, particularly in improving outcomes for children, expanding access to quality education and healthcare, strengthening nutrition programmes and advancing broader human development.
Enugu Media Village (EMV) reports that the renewed engagement underscores the growing emphasis on sustained investment in education and social services as key components of Enugu State’s development strategy.