The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged African governments to prioritise domestic funding for child welfare and education, stressing the unpredictability of foreign aid and the need for sustainable domestic investment.
UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Mr. Gilles Fagninou, made this call in Abuja on Monday.
He explained that while international partners and donors provide vital support, their contributions are often influenced by domestic constraints and economic fluctuations in their home countries.
“Foreign aid, by nature, is uncertain. Donors give when they have the resources and when their domestic situations allow,” Fagninou said.
Impact of U.S. Aid cuts on child welfare
Fagninou acknowledged that recent cuts in U.S. grants would have significant consequences, including reduced support for malnourished children and fewer beneficiaries of UNICEF’s programmes.
However, he reassured that the agency is actively collaborating with various partners to mitigate the impact.
“There are still countries providing support, and we are also strengthening fundraising efforts with the private sector, which has already yielded positive results,” he added.
Domestic budget allocations key to sustainable child welfare
Fagninou highlighted the importance of increasing domestic budget allocations for children’s welfare, making it a key focus of his visit to Nigeria. He urged governments to prioritise children’s needs using local resources rather than relying on foreign aid.
“Foreign aid should complement existing efforts, not serve as the primary foundation,” he stated. “I see this as an opportunity for governments to prioritise what matters most for their children with domestic funding.”
- Reflecting on his personal experiences, Fagninou emphasized Africa’s deep-rooted culture of community solidarity, stressing that collective responsibility could help uphold children’s rights.
“I grew up in a community where half of my childhood was spent with friends, uncles, and aunts, not just my biological parents. That sense of solidarity ensured I could go to school, eat well, and grow up healthy,” he shared.
Fagninou urged African nations to harness their strong sense of community and strengthen internal support systems rather than relying solely on foreign assistance.
“Our children belong to us. We must act now to secure their future, with or without external aid,” he said.
- The UNICEF official also raised concerns about inadequate investment in education infrastructure by African leaders, warning that current efforts were failing to keep pace with rapid population growth.
- He highlighted that more than 100 million school-age children across Africa remain out of school, with 57 million in West and Central Africa alone.
“Nigeria accounts for more than one-third of this total,” he noted.
Underinvestment in education is worsening the crisis
Fagninou criticised existing solutions, stating they were not effectively addressing the crisis.
“The population growth in our countries and communities is very high, yet governments are not investing at a level that matches this rapid expansion.
“As a result, while the number of school-age children keeps increasing, investment in education infrastructure is not keeping up.”
- Fagninou warned that underinvestment in education was worsening the crisis, citing a lack of adequate infrastructure and trained teachers as key challenges that leave more children out of school each year.
- He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to education, advocating for digitalisation as an alternative to traditional learning methods.
“We don’t have to wait to recruit large numbers of teachers or construct new school buildings before enrolling more children,” he said.
“There are alternative solutions, such as radio education, distance learning, and skills acquisition programmes, which can help bridge the gap.”
Fagninou urged governments to allocate more domestic resources to education to sustain and expand impactful programmes initiated by international organisations, ensuring that every child and region has access to quality education.
