Global Affairs Canada, UNICEF, partnership changing development narrative in Bauchi 

Four days, Monday to Thursday, 9th to 12th of February, 2026, Bauchi State played host to a delegation from the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) of the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria as well as the Country Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The aim was simply to see the various investments and interventions undertaken in the State through various organisations.

From Bauchi to Dass, to Darazo, Konkiyel, Durum and other locations where these investments and projects are located, the people felt the positivity of the visit, as the delegation practically walked around to see things and appreciated the development.

The team paid courtesy visits to traditional rulers, government establishments that have direct links to the activities and programmes of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), either directly or through the collaboration of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Such icluded MEDA, PLAN International and ASHH Foundation.

Team Lead, Arash Irantalab Tehrani, Head of Development Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada in Abuja, Nigeria, stated that, “As you know, Bauchi is a very strong partner for us. We have big investments here. As you know, as part of the Africa strategy, recently we have announced new investments in the state, and we are here to oversee those investments and also thank the government for being such a strong partner to us and also taking ownership of all these investments here in the state.”

He added that,”After this, as you know, with the international development projects, these are long-term projects, these are long-term investments. We are hoping that by the end of these projects, that the needs that we were trying to target are completely met and it would become a very sustainable sort of process, natural to the government, so that it would benefit the people of the state.”

According to him,”In Bauchi, no. All of Bauchi interests us because it’s such an important state within the whole concept of Nigeria, within the other 36 states. But for us, as you’ve heard, we’re going to Dass tomorrow. We have some investments there. And then for the continuing days, we are looking towards going around the Bauchi city itself, and also we will have our partners forum here in Bauchi. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Also speaking,  Rownak Khan, the Deputy Representative for UNICEF Nigeria, while explaining what  the initiative in the GAC investments are, said,”Well, UNICEF, as you know, works for women and children, and especially for the most vulnerable women and children. So for this investment, we are very grateful to the Canadian High Commission, but to the Global Affairs of Canada for receiving this investment, which will basically improve the system in the primary healthcare at the LGA level.”

According to her,”But one of the elements of this investment is to work on the adolescent health, which is quite new in Nigeria. So Bauchi is one of the states that is a trailblazer that will show us how to invest in adolescent health. But then at the end of the day, we are also grateful to the government, to the Ministry of Health at the federal level, but also at the state level, to the PHCDA, that they are the one who are actually implementing.”

“We are providing some technical support, but they are the one who are going to move this forward. And also, based on this experience, I’m so encouraged to know that the state has allocated 15% of their budget for health. So this definitely is a very positive indication that the investment that are being made by the Canadian government will be sustained through government efforts and their support. Thank you,” She concluded.

Dr. Sani Mohammed Dambam, the Honourable Commissioner of Health and Social Welfare for Bauchi State, in his remarks, stated that,”Yes, they are one of our major donor partners, and they have been supporting the state in many sectors, like such as the health sector, education, the women and children, and of course the some sort of Youths and sports are also benefiting from some of their interventions.”

According to him,”But the major intervention is that of health, and they are here to see for themselves the investment and the support they have been receiving from the state government. So which we are very hopeful, with them, we are very hopeful that when they see the support and the investment, they will be really impressed and that will also lead to further increase in the partnership and the collaboration.”

The Commissioner stressed that, “There are a lot of supports that the state government has been putting. Generally, as you know that His Excellency, the executive governor of the state, Senator Muhammad has been given so much priority to the health sector. So he has been keeping supporting the health sector. And of course, one of the major areas of support is the nutrition, whereby the Bauchi state government is going to donate N500 million as matching grants for the nutritional support in the state. So this is just one of the support that in the state government and there are many of them. Thank you.”

Just as was said earlier, the first stop for the visiting team was not a rural village or health facility. It was the conference rooms of the government — where policies are shaped and budgets decided. Commissioners from health, education, and humanitarian sectors gathered to welcome the delegation. They spoke of maternal mortality rates, school enrollment figures, immunization coverage, adolescent empowerment, and gender-based violence mitigation. They referenced village savings groups, menstrual hygiene management, water and sanitation initiatives.

Behind the technical language was a central message: Bauchi State, under Governor Bala Mohammed, has made development partnership a strategic priority.

For donors, political will matters as much as funding. A programme cannot outlive a government’s commitment to it. The Commissioners were keen to emphasize that external interventions are not operating in isolation; they are embedded within state systems. It was a necessary starting point — because sustainable change begins at policy level.

If the conference rooms provided assurances, the communities would provide evidence.The delegation travelled to Dass and Darazo Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, where the real test of development lies — not in strategy documents, but in behaviour change.

In Dass, the visit began at the palace of the Emir, His Royal Highness Alhaji Usman Bilyaminu Othman. The symbolism was unmistakable. In Northern Nigeria, traditional rulers remain powerful custodians of social norms. No development intervention can thrive without their endorsement.

From the palace, the GAC and partners delegation moved to Bundot community. There, adolescent girls sat in a semi-circle, speaking with a confidence that belied their rural setting. Supported by Plan International under GAC funding, these young advocates are trained to challenge gender-based violence and promote sexual and reproductive health rights.

A few years ago, conversations about reproductive health in such spaces might have been whispered — if held at all. Now, teenage girls articulate them publicly.

In Dot community of the same Dass LGA, another story unfolded. Under a tree shaded gathering space, members of the “Mama2Mama” group demonstrated how they carry out awareness campaigns and promotion of access to maternal and child care at healthcare facilities. These women-led community resource groups advocate for antenatal care attendance, immunization uptake, facility deliveries, hygiene practices and gender-based violence prevention.

The GAC team also interfaced with yet another adolescents boys and girls groups that were trained by UNICEF Nigeria Bauchi Field Office (BFO) on how produce reusable sanitary pads — stitched carefully, layered with absorbent fabric, designed to be both affordable and dignified.

Supported technically by UNICEF and funded by GAC, these community resource group’s activities extends beyond awareness campaigns.

The skills they have acquired generate income. The income strengthens their bargaining power within households.

The strengthened voices influence community norms.

One member of the Adolescent group explained that the pads not only improve menstrual hygiene management but also create economic opportunity. It is a reminder that development interventions are most effective when they address multiple vulnerabilities at once — health, income, dignity.

The Mama2Mama and Adolescent SRHR group model reflects a shift in global development thinking. Beneficiaries are no longer passive recipients; they are actors and entrepreneurs within their own communities.

In Konkyel community of Darazo LGA, the narrative shifted again. Here, the delegation met members of the “Fathers4Health” initiative — male caregivers championing maternal and child health.

In many rural communities, men control financial resources and make key household decisions. Convincing a mother to attend antenatal care is not enough if her husband withholds permission or transport fare.

Fathers4Health addresses this reality directly. Established by the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board in collaboration with UNICEF and supported by GAC, the initiative encourages men to become advocates for immunization, hygiene and healthcare access.

During the interaction, some fathers described how they now accompany their wives to health facilities — a subtle but powerful departure from tradition.

The itinerary also included a stop at a technology incubation centre in Bauchi metropolis. Inside, the air carried the scent of processed grains and roasted peanuts. Women and youth entrepreneurs showcased products from rice, peanut and soybean value chains — part of an intervention implemented with MEDA and funded by GAC.

Agriculture remains Bauchi’s economic backbone. Improving processing capacity and market access strengthens not just incomes but food security. Nutrition, after all, is not solely a health sector issue. It is deeply tied to livelihoods.

By investing in agribusiness and supporting small-scale enterprises, the programme addresses structural poverty drivers. It recognizes that resilient households are healthier households.

What distinguished this visit was not the scale of funding announced or the number of communities toured. It was the layered nature of engagement.

The delegation moved seamlessly from policy conversations to palace courtyards, from adolescent circles to incubation hubs.

They listened as much as they spoke. Development, at its best, is relational. It is built on trust between governments and donors, between institutions and communities, between women and men, between young advocates and traditional authorities. Bauchi’s experience reflects this interplay.

Challenges remain — maternal mortality rates, poverty levels, climate vulnerability, educational access. No four-day visit can resolve these complexities. But it can reinforce alignment. It can signal that international investment is tied to local ownership. It can remind stakeholders that sustainability is not an afterthought — it is the goal.

When the vehicles eventually departed Bauchi, they left behind more than press statements.They left renewed commitments.They left community groups emboldened by recognition.They left policymakers aware that accountability travels both ways.

And perhaps most importantly, they left a subtle affirmation: that development, when anchored in partnership and driven by community ownership, can outlast funding cycles.

For Bauchi State, the visit was not merely about monitoring investments. It was about demonstrating that transformation is possible when global commitment meets local resolve — and when four days of engagement are backed by years of sustained collaboration.