ADAMAWA, YOLA – No fewer than 75,000 adolescent girls are expected to annually benefit from the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sponsored reproductive health project in Adamawa.
Dr Victoria Isiramen, a maternal and newborn health specialist at UNICEF Abuja, disclosed this at a roundtable on Wednesday in Yola.
The meeting was organized by the Adamawa Government in collaboration with UNICEF, UNFPA, and the EU.
According to reports, the adolescent girls are to benefit from sponsored “Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH)” project in Adamawa.
She stated that the project would indirectly benefit up to 175,000 people in Adamawa.
The initiative, with a four-year duration, will be implemented across Adamawa, Kwara, and Sokoto States in Nigeria.
Isiramen said that investing in adolescent girls was crucial for achieving a demographic dividend globally.
According to her, Nigeria has approximately 60 million adolescent girls who need support to become change agents for the future.
Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi, commended the Adamawa government for its investment in healthcare services.
She particularly praised the state government for addressing the challenges faced by adolescent girls in the state.
She urged adolescent girls to be aware of their rights regarding health, sanitation, education, and protection from harmful practices and abuse in their communities.
“This is a great initiative for people like you, so you are the future mothers of tomorrow.
“You should be strong enough and be educated for the success of generations to come,” she said.
Dr Bashir Suleiman, the Executive Chairman, Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), said more than 1,000 health facilities provide friendly adolescent health services in the state including gender-based violence.
According to him, it is important to provide adolescent girls with mental health knowledge as mothers and leaders of tomorrow.
“By this, we are empowering them for them to remain in school pursuing their educational development and subsequent careers to become economically productive members of the society,” he said.
Rashida Tahir, Director, Community Health, said adolescent girls had a vital role to play in promoting health education among their peers and society as a whole.
She said with support from the SARAH project, they could achieve significant progress, including the establishment of community clubs led by adolescent girls, aimed at improving their quality of life