By Babatunde Tiamiyu
In its continuous effort to safeguard the rights and well-being of children in Edo State, the Edo State Government has strengthened ties with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
This bond of continuous partnership and collaboration was sealed during the inauguration and launch of the Edo State Social and Behavioral Change Committee (SBCC), by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, at the Ministry’s Conference Hall in Benin City.
Declaring the event open, the Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Desmond Agbama, underscored the need for proper and comprehensive care for children during and after birth, in order for them to thrive and excel in life, stressing that they are the future leaders of any successful society.
He noted that, reports of child abuse, molestation, trafficking and other social menaces against children in the society are worrisome and called for a collaborative effort between the government and relevant stakeholders.
The Commissioner assured UNICEF of the State Government’s unwavering commitment to promoting programs and initiatives that would help to correct the anomalies bedeviling the well-being and growth of the children in the State.
Hon. Ohonbamu thereafter, inaugurated the SBCC, urging members of the Committee to work assiduously towards the actualization of its mandates. He thanked UNICEF for their partnership over the years and sued for sustenance.
Earlier, the Director of Orientation, Ministry of Information and Communication, Mrs. Rose Imonikhe, explained that the objectives of the Committee are to promote and tailor behavior change at individual and community levels, to drive positive outcomes for children and adolescents across key thematic areas in the State by reducing barriers related to behavior and shifting social and gender norms that increase child deprivation.
She noted that members of the committee were carefully selected from different strategic spheres of the media, NGO’s, CSO’s and line MDA’s, adding that there would be different advocacy and enlightenment campaigns by the committee members to achieve its objectives.
In a presentation, the UNICEF SBC Specialist,Lagos Field Office, Mrs. Aderonke Akinola – Akinwole who spoke on the theme “increasing a child’s chance of survival through the first 1000 days”, noted that the well-being of a child starts from the conception stage and as such, parents should endeavor to take proper antenatal and postnatal care for the safety of their child.
The event also featured a breakout session where Committee members provided suggestions which would help increase a child’s chance of survival through the first 1000 days i.e. the period of conception to the second-year birthday of a child.
