An NGO funded by Global Affairs Canada, Plan International is embarking on a project to rehabilitate 11 Primary Health Centres across seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Sokoto State.
Usie Charles, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria announced this initiative during the groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation of the Arkilla Primary Health Centre in Wamakko LGA on Wednesday.
Charles said the project was part of the ASPIRE Project aimed at improving the realisation of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for adolescent girls, women, and vulnerable populations.
“This is to build upon the successes of the Strengthening Health Outcome for Women and Children (SHOW) and Bauchi Opportunities for Responsive Neonatal and Maternal Health (BORN) projects in Sokoto and Bauchi States.
“It aims to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty by empowering adolescent girls with knowledge and social capital.
“More so, it seeks to reduce Gender-Based Violence (GBV), advance women’s and girls’ health, rights, equality, support women’s economic opportunities, and increase household income,” he said.
The country director emphasised that the project would also encourage men, boys, community as well as traditional leaders to promote positive masculinity that supports the agenda and leadership of girls and women.
Charles said this “will however challenge harmful gender-based norms, practices, and barriers, such as unpaid care work.”
He highlighted that the project was set to benefit an estimated 877,868 direct beneficiaries, with 732,784 being adolescent girls and women aged 10-14, 15-19, and 20-24, in 10 LGAs of Bauchi and 23 LGAs in Sokoto States.
He said the project would assist selected health facilities in improving and renovating their existing infrastructure to create a more conducive, gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly, and disability-inclusive environment, thereby alleviating overcrowding.
In appreciation of the agency’s contributions, Gov. Ahmed Aliyu of the state, commended Plan International and assured of the state government’s collaboration on activities beneficial to the people of the state.
Aliyu, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Idris Gobir, also highlighted the improvement of the healthcare sector as a key component of his nine-point agenda for the development of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seven LGAs set to benefit from this initiative include Sokoto South, Sokoto North, Wamakko, Kware, Tambuwal, Binji, and Gwadabawa.
