Benue State Government on Tuesday, received a donation of integrated reproductive health kits from the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA, with support from the Government of Japan, in a move aimed at strengthening maternal and newborn health services and improving response to sexual and reproductive health rights, SRHR and gender-based violence in the state.
The handover ceremony took place at the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BENSEMA premises in Makurdi and was witnessed by government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, and community representatives.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Sam Ode thanked UNFPA and Japan for the gesture, describing it as timely and life-saving for vulnerable populations, especially women and girls in Internally Displaced Persons IDP camps across Benue.
“On behalf of the governor, the government, and the good people of Benue State, we thank you very specially for this donation of integrated reproductive health kits,” Dr. Ode said. “I can see that the objective is to strengthen maternal and newborn health, including SRHR and gender-based violence response services.”
He assured that the state government would ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution of the kits. “The donations you have made will be properly utilized. We will track them and make sure that those who are supposed to be the actual beneficiaries will actually be those who will get them. We’ll continue to partner with you and we continue to appreciate you,” he added.
Dr. Ode described the event as a continuation of the Alia administration’s commitment to healthcare delivery, peacebuilding, and support for displaced communities.
UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Muriel Mafico, said the intervention underscores the impact of multi-stakeholder collaboration in humanitarian response. She noted that while the Japanese Embassy was not physically present, Japan’s support through funding made the donation possible.
“What we saw this morning when we visited a rehabilitated health center at the Mega IDP Camp where we interacted with the community is very clear that the support brought to Benue is making a difference. It is igniting hope and transforming lives, one person at a time,” Ms. Mafico said.
She stressed that beyond supplies, UNFPA’s support will include capacity building for nurses, midwives, doctors, and surgeons in partnership with Benue College of Nursing Sciences. The agency will also establish youth-friendly safe spaces in IDP camps and host communities to address gender-based violence and intimate partner violence.
Ms. Mafico added that the program will intentionally include boys, promote economic empowerment through digital and digital marketing skills, and support women-led and youth-led organizations in peacebuilding and social cohesion efforts. “Coordination is the new currency. Coordination is the new competition,” she said, pledging UNFPA’s support for the government-led gender-based violence working group as part of the localization agenda.
The reproductive health kits, she explained, will benefit over 100,000 people across Benue and are designed to be life-saving in emergency and camp settings.
Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, said the kits will significantly strengthen the state’s capacity to serve women in camps and underserved communities while protecting their dignity and comfort.
“I want to assure UNFPA and the Government of Japan that the donated kits are going to be deployed transparently, equitably, and put to proper use for the benefit of our people,” Dr. Ogwuche stated.
He commended the strong partnership between the Government of the United States, UNFPA, and Benue State, and appealed for continued collaboration to expand access to quality reproductive health services.
Speaking on behalf of the IDPs, Benjamin Bem expressed gratitude to the government and development partners for their sustained support over the years. He noted that many IDPs could not even afford sanitary pads before this intervention. He prayed for God’s continued blessings on the state and its partners.
