The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has reaffirmed its pledge to boost reproductive healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Ms Ratidzai Ndhlovu, the Country Representative of the fund in Nigeria, disclosed this in Abuja at the opening of a three-day leadership summit on demographic dividend in Africa.
According to her, UNFPA is committed to ensuring that “every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled’’. She said that the demographic dividends in Africa provide an enormous potential and opportunities for UNFPA to achieve this mission.
She said the summit has been convened to deepen understanding of the demographic dividend issues and discuss ways by which donors can support seed funding to select institutions.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Ms Fatima Samoura, called on African leaders to invest in young persons to secure a better for the continent, noting that about 25 per cent of Africa’s estimated population of 1.2 billion in 2016 are youths below 25 years in many countries.
