From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has explained its reasoning behind appointing Nollywood stars like Kate Henshaw as UNICEF Ambassadors. UNICEF says its primary goal is to raise awareness about the importance of investing in children’s well-being.
Rajat Madhok, Chief of Communications for UNICEF Nigeria, disclosed this at a press briefing held Tuesday at the Bauchi Field Office. Henshaw was part of a UNICEF delegation that visited Bauchi to monitor the state’s ongoing immunisation exercise.
Madhok explained that UNICEF partners with various celebrities, not just Hollywood actors. He mentioned Nigerian stars like Ali Nuhu, Olamide (likely referring to the musician Olamide Adedeji), and Waje, who all support UNICEF’s advocacy efforts.
“UNICEF partners with influential people, people who have a voice,” Madhok said. “We partner with people who are respected in their communities and whose opinions matter.”
“We want them to connect with communities, talk to community members, and advocate to the government and people in power,” he added. “We want them to convince everyone of the importance of investing in children.”
“Someone like Ms. Kate Henshaw embodies all the qualities we mentioned,” Madhok continued. “She has influence, a strong voice, and most importantly, a heart in the right place. These are the champions that UNICEF works with around the world. That’s why Kate is here in Bauchi.”
“She’s here because of the ongoing immunisation program,” he clarified. “She met with young mothers who brought their children to be vaccinated, and she’s also championing other important issues like child nutrition.”
Dr Tushar Rane, Chief of the Bauchi Field Office for UNICEF, expressed his gratitude to Kate Henshaw for travelling from Lagos to Bauchi to promote immunisation as a UNICEF Ambassador.
“During her visit, she interacted with Bauchi State Governor His Excellency Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the Emir of Dass, and some caregivers,” Rane said. “UNICEF partners with influential people who have a voice.”
Rane thanked the media for their significant support of UNICEF’s activities in Nigeria, particularly the Bauchi Field Office.
“We couldn’t have achieved anything without your partnership,” he stated. “Your support has helped us amplify our efforts and reach more women and children with our call to action: come forward and avail yourselves of these services.”
“The media are truly equal partners in this venture,” Rane concluded. “We’ve worked together for a common good. Please be assured that we rely on you to continue amplifying our call to those responsible for upholding children’s rights. We owe it to children not to leave any of them behind when it comes to basic services.”
Speaking about her experience interacting with women in Bauchi communities, Kate Henshaw described the state’s ongoing immunisation program as successful.
“The Governor is very passionate about child and maternal health,” Henshaw said. “He was impressed with UNICEF’s work and has directed the release of counterpart funds to support UNICEF interventions related to the immune system and nutrition.”
“He’s committed to protecting children and their mothers through proper nutrition so they can grow up healthy,” she continued. “Today, I met with the Emir of Dass, Usman Bilyaminu Othman II. He’s a very kind gentleman who received us warmly.”
“We went to the local government area together, where we met with some women,” Henshaw explained. “I was shown their nutrition program and encouraged them to continue providing the right nutritional foods and giving children the RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) and supplements they need for proper growth.”
“We also reminded them about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for six months to give their children a healthy foundation for a better future,” she added. “We visited Yelwa, where we saw many women bringing their children for immunisation. Many children had already been immunised. We commend the field workers, community workers, health workers, and Mama2Mama support groups – everyone is doing a great job of giving mothers and children a chance to live healthy lives.”
“I want to thank UNICEF for giving me the opportunity to meet people and share an overview of how this important work is done,” Henshaw concluded. “It’s not easy. It takes love, care, and a commitment to progress to give people a chance to live healthy lives. It all starts with a woman when she becomes pregnant. It’s crucial to amplify this message as often as possible in your reporting to communities, and even within your own outlets, so people understand, especially women. Men also need to know they’re part of the process; they’re partners in this advocacy work. We all need each other to be able to make the story complete.”