Benue strengthens partnership with UNFPA to advance maternal health, Youth dev’t, women’s rights

​From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

​The Benue State Government has intensified its call for a stronger partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to accelerate progress on maternal health, youth development, and the protection of women and girls.
​The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ejeh Ogwuche, made this call during a high-level, multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement involving key government ministries, development partners, civil society organizations, and stakeholders working across humanitarian and development sectors.
​Dr. Ogwuche described the engagement as a signal of hope, partnership, and shared responsibility, noting that Benue State sits at a critical intersection of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus.
He highlighted that the state continues to address ongoing humanitarian challenges, including internally displaced populations, while simultaneously strengthening health systems and building resilient communities under the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
​The Commissioner outlined critical concerns, including persistent maternal mortality, limited access to reproductive health services for young people, widespread vulnerability to gender-based violence, and the growing health needs of internally displaced populations.
​“These are not just statistics. These are lives, families, and futures at risk”, Dr Ogwuche stated.
​He identified priority areas for immediate collaboration, including: expanding family planning services in underserved communities, strengthening emergency obstetric and newborn care, and scaling up adolescent and youth-friendly health services.
Others are: improving systems for gender-based violence prevention and response, delivering targeted interventions in IDP communities and strengthening data systems for evidence-based planning.
​He further called for deeper technical collaboration, the inclusion of Benue State in UNFPA program expansion, and the piloting of high-impact interventions, reaffirming the state’s commitment to leadership, co-investment, and the sustainable integration of partner-supported programs.
​In response, the UNFPA lead and Senior Programme Specialist for Reproductive Health and Humanitarian Response, Chris Macaulay, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Benue State in advancing the rights of women and girls, expanding access to reproductive health services, and investing in youth empowerment.
​Macaulay highlighted UNFPA’s ongoing interventions, including reproductive health service delivery, emergency obstetric care, gender-based violence prevention and response, mental health and psychosocial support, and the establishment of safe spaces for women and girls.
He commended the state’s leadership, particularly the development of the Benue State Youth Development Plan using the Youth Development Index, describing it as a forward-looking, data-driven framework that positions the state as a leader in youth programming in Sub-Saharan Africa.
​Notable stakeholders present at the meeting included the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Theresa Odachi Ikwue; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports; and Mr. Philip Nongu Lobi, alongside other key partners and sector representatives.
​Stakeholders emphasized the need to expand youth-friendly services, strengthen comprehensive sexuality education, promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities, and create economic opportunities for young people through initiatives such as agribusiness.
​The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen coordination, mobilize resources, and build resilient systems that will improve health outcomes, protect vulnerable populations, and ensure that no woman, young person, or community is left behind—a reflection of Governor Alia’s people-centered governance and commitment to sustainable development across Benue State.