FIC Report (Kaduna State) – A delegation of United Nations agencies in Nigeria, led by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Mohammed Malik Fall, paid a courtesy visit to the Kaduna State Government House as part of a condolence mission for the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The team, received by Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe on behalf of Governor Uba Sani, also held strategic discussions with key state commissioners to explore areas of strengthened collaboration, particularly in accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Northwest.
In his remarks, Mr. Fall described the late President Buhari as a leader whose legacy continues to shape Nigeria’s development landscape and international partnerships, describing him as a long-standing friend of the United Nations.
Malik said We came here today to visit the family of the late President Muhammadu Buhari because we know what he represented for Nigeria, for Kaduna State, and for the United Nations. As President, he led initiatives that directly supported UN interventions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before that, as a young officer, he served as a UN peacekeeper in Congo, a mark of his enduring connection with our mission.
He emphasized Kaduna’s critical role in advancing the SDGs due to its demographic, historical, and regional importance disclosing that a joint UN team’s visit to the state to review progress of the SDG programmes and how to accelerate SDG’s interventions in the state.
The WHO representative in the delegation commended Kaduna State for recording six consecutive months without transmission of vaccine-derived polio, describing it as a major milestone in public health and a testament to the government’s commitment to routine immunization and disease prevention.
In her response, Dr. Balarabe described the UN as a true friend of Kaduna State and thanked the delegation for their show of solidarity. She acknowledged the longstanding support from UN agencies in sectors including health, education, and humanitarian response.
As part of the visit, representatives of various UN agencies engaged directly with commissioners of Health, Youth and Sports, Business Innovation and Technology, and Social Development.
The UN delegation later departed to continue its condolence visit to the Buhari family in Daura, Katsina State.
Signed:
Muhammad Gwani
CIO FIRC,Kaduna
