The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Oyo State House of Assembly to strengthen its legislative and oversight roles to ensure that budgetary allocations translate into tangible improvements in the lives of children across the state.
The Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, made the call on Monday at the opening of a three-day Programme-Based Budgeting (PBB) workshop for lawmakers in Oyo State, held at Hotel De Aruna, Oyo Town.
The workshop was organised under the European Union-funded SUSI Project, with technical support from UNICEF.
Lafoucriere noted that while Oyo State had demonstrated leadership in institutionalising reforms, including the adoption of a Social Protection Policy and a five-year Medium-Term Development Plan, gaps still exist in child health, education, and social welfare.
She said:“at its core, this workshop is about children. How resources are planned, allocated, and tracked will determine whether every child in Oyo can survive, learn, and thrive. And here, the Assembly’s legislative and oversight roles are critical.”
Giving a breakdown of the 2025 state budget, Lafoucriere commended Oyo for allocating ₦145 billion (21 per cent of the total budget) to education, ₦59 billion to health, and ₦2.18 billion to social protection — a fourfold increase in two years.
She said the allocations provide real opportunities for the state’s 1.7 million children under five and the 334,000 children still out of school.
However, she warned that more must be done to tackle existing challenges. According to her, only 37 per cent of one-year-olds in the state are fully immunised, one in three children remain stunted, and more than four million residents still practice open defecation.
Lafoucriere urged lawmakers to sustain and increase allocations for children, ensure funds are released and efficiently utilised, and promote evidence-based policies and transparent reporting.
“Together, we can make Oyo’s budget more than a statement of intent. We can make it an instrument of real change for children,” she added.
Declaring the workshop open, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, said the training was aimed at evolving strategies for result-driven budget implementation in the state.
He stressed that budgeting in Oyo was not a mere technical exercise but a fundamental governance tool, adding that the state had adopted an inclusive, top-down approach that prioritises health and education.
“We have made a top-down approach in our budgeting framework. It has always been inclusive in Oyo State. It involves a whole chain of activities that enhances transparency and strengthens our governance process,” Babatunde said.
The event was attended by the Speaker and members of the Oyo State House of Assembly, the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Taiwo Adenike Muraina-Akinola, senior government officials, and development partners.
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