UNICEF urges Nigeria to turn child-rights research into policy action

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for stronger use of research, evidence and learning in shaping policies and programmes aimed at improving the lives of children in Nigeria.

Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the Knowledge Management Summit 2026, organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria through the Child Rights Information Bureau.

The summit brought together government officials, development partners, UN agencies, academia, civil society, researchers, young people, media professionals and other stakeholders to discuss how knowledge and evidence can be translated into action for children.

Ms Saeed said knowledge management and learning were important tools for ensuring that policies and programmes have meaningful and sustainable impact, particularly amid the challenges facing children in Nigeria.

She said stakeholders must take time to examine what had worked, what had not worked and what needed to change.

“We need to reflect and pause and see what we are learning and how we can use that learning to improve our work so that we have impact, so that we have sustainability, and so that we also reach all children, no matter where they are,” she said.

Greater participation of young people

Ms Saeed also stressed the importance of involving young people in the knowledge-management process, saying their experiences should inform how knowledge is generated and used.

She said one of the key lessons from the summit was that young people wanted to participate in creating knowledge rather than simply receiving feedback from institutions.

According to her, the approach should extend to parents and communities, with stakeholders working together from the beginning of research and learning processes.

“When you work with co-creation, when you get people from the beginning, then they already own the knowledge and they can work on it,” she said.

Ms Saeed said UNICEF’s mandate to work with governments and communities on issues including children’s health, learning, skills, protection and resilience made knowledge management particularly important.

Evidence-based decisions
Suzanne Suh of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office said knowledge management should serve as a tool for evidence-based decision-making, accountability and collaboration.

Ms Suh said research, evaluations and assessments provided the evidence needed to guide governments and partners towards policies that protect and empower children.

Without evidence, she said, decisions could be based on assumptions rather than the realities experienced by children and communities.

She also said data could help stakeholders track commitments, measure progress and improve accountability for resources meant to address children’s needs.

“Knowledge management provides accountability and transparency. Data allows us to track commitments, measure progress, and hold ourselves accountable,” she said.

Ms Suh further called for greater investment in systems capable of collecting disaggregated data, while amplifying the voices of children and young people in research.

She said digital platforms, open data and participatory approaches could help make knowledge more accessible and inclusive.

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, she added, was committed to promoting greater coherence across the UN system and ensuring that knowledge could move between agencies, governments and communities.

‘Summit should lead to action’

Wayne Bacale, chief of planning and monitoring at UNICEF Nigeria, said the summit was designed not only to share findings from research, evaluations and assessments but to examine how such knowledge could be applied to improve outcomes for children and mothers.

READ ALSO: Group calls for probe after Rivers gas explosion survivor dies amid unresolved emissions

Mr Bacale said the gathering brought together government, academia, UN agencies and other partners to share knowledge generated through different studies on child rights in Nigeria.

He said the discussions should continue beyond the summit, with stakeholders identifying specific actions for translating findings from research, evaluations and assessments into policy.

According to him, the summit should be seen as the beginning of a continuing process rather than an isolated event.

“This effort to share, learn and put knowledge into action should not end here. It is a process. It’s a journey,” he said.

Mr Bacale said stakeholders needed to continue creating platforms where those working to improve the situation of children could share knowledge and identify practical actions.

He said the ultimate objective should be to translate knowledge generated through research into policy actions that improve the protection and wellbeing of children in Nigeria.