UNFPA Donates to Benue, Reaffirms Commitment to Vulnerable Persons

George Okoh in Makurdi

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), backed by the Government of Japan, donated Inter‑Agency Reproductive Health (IARH) kits and additional humanitarian goods to the Benue State Government. The aim is to reinforce maternal and newborn care, sexual and reproductive health services, and the state’s response to gender‑based violence.

Implemented through the Royal Heritage Health Foundation, the initiative is projected to help over 100,000 vulnerable individuals, with a particular focus on internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, and girls impacted by Benue’s humanitarian crisis.

During the official handover ceremony at the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BENSEMA) headquarters in Makurdi, UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria, Muriel Mafico, called the reproductive health kits “truly life‑saving” and emphasized that the intervention goes beyond merely supplying medical items.

“The kits we are handing over today will benefit over 100,000 people across Benue State. But beyond the supplies, we are investing in people because supplies alone will not save lives unless health workers are properly trained,” she said.

She announced that UNFPA will partner with the Benue State College of Nursing Sciences to enhance the skills of nurses, midwives, and doctors, while also backing the creation of safe spaces and youth‑friendly centres in IDP camps to improve gender‑based violence responses.

Mafico also revealed that the agency plans to invest in digital literacy and digital marketing training for young people and women, aiming to promote economic empowerment and leave no one behind.