The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has acknowledged significant progress in Nigeria’s efforts to address its humanitarian crisis but emphasised that more work remains to be done.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, made this statement in an interview with journalists on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Fagninou is currently visiting Nigeria to assess UNICEF’s ongoing programmes. During his visit to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, he revealed notable progress in humanitarian efforts over the past few years.

“Humanitarian needs have been addressed, but we still see a lot of children in need,” Mr Fagninou added.

He said that several malnourished children were in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, schools, and stabilisation centres he visited.

“While progress has been made, these centres still have many malnourished children.

“In the North-East, malnutrition remains a critical issue, and there is also a significant number of out-of-school children, exceeding the national average.

“Many children are still unhealthy. While a lot has been done, the needs persist, so it is difficult to say the humanitarian crisis is over,” he said.

Mr Fagninou emphasised the need to intensify efforts to ensure long-term impact, noting that addressing the crisis required a combination of humanitarian aid and development strategies.

“The approach taken by UNICEF in collaboration with the Nigerian government is commendable because it goes beyond short-term relief.

“It’s not just about providing Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) or delivering water through tankers; instead, we are strengthening systems to build resilience within communities.

“The goal is to ensure that humanitarian interventions leave a lasting impact,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of preparing communities to better withstand and respond to future crises.

Mr Fagninou said he would engage with communities and relevant authorities to evaluate UNICEF’s support to the government, local administrations, and affected populations.

“The assessment will help determine whether our approach is yielding the desired results and guide necessary adjustments,” he added.

UNICEF’s regional office covers 24 countries across West and Central Africa.

(NAN)