Oyo, UNICEF convene stakeholders Workshop to boost community engagement, accountability
The Oyo State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), recently held a two-day strategic capacity-building workshop aimed at enhancing community engagement and promoting Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) across Southwest states and Edo State.
The event, hosted at Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, brought together government officials, civil society organizations, community leaders, and development partners to focus on inclusion and community feedback while advancing the rights of children.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Rotimi Babalola, Permanent Secretary of Oyo State’s Ministry of Information and Orientation, commended UNICEF’s sustained support and described the agency as a long-standing development partner.
He highlighted the importance of the AAP initiative in addressing critical challenges faced by marginalized and underserved populations, particularly children and women.
“This initiative is both timely and important,” Babalola said, urging participants to see the workshop not as routine but as a call to prioritize inclusion in their respective states and organizations.
He encouraged the building of cross-state networks and collaborative efforts to tackle community challenges.
UNICEF Social Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist from the Lagos field office, Mrs. Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, described SBC as a people-centered approach that uses community insights and data to design effective solutions.
She stressed that involving communities fosters ownership and drives lasting positive change.
Mrs. Akinola-Akinwole called on stakeholders to adopt SBC strategies to advance children’s rights, emphasizing that sustainable progress comes when communities lead change.
In a presentation titled “Overview of Accountability to Affected Populations,” UNICEF SBC Specialist, Ms. Amina Bala, explained that AAP ensures vulnerable groups’ voices and needs are central to interventions.
She highlighted that AAP is about listening to communities, responding to their concerns, and including them in decision-making.
She urged states to integrate AAP into policies and establish mechanisms that allow communities to provide feedback, ask questions, and help shape programs.
The workshop is expected to support participating states in strengthening accountability, increasing community involvement, and enhancing support for women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
