The Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed has stated that the the safety of women and girls can enhance economic sustainability and development for Nigeria. This, she stated at a meeting with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at the Ministry of Finance HQ in Abuja on Friday, 26 November, 2021. .
The meeting comprised of Federal Ministers and representatives of Health, Women Affairs, Youth, and Humanitarian Affairs Ministries, the National Population Commission (NPC) Chairman and the United Nations Under-Secretary General/Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr Natalia Kanem as part of her official visit to Nigeria.
The meeting held a productive discussion on the challenges and opportunities for funding the UNFPA three transformative results which are to be achieved by 2030, these are to : End Maternal Death, End Unmet need for Family Planning, and to End Gender-Based Violence and All Harmful Practices. Dr. Kanem of the UNFPA expressed her gratitude on behalf of herself and her team for being hosted by the Minister and commended Nigeria for the continued collaboration.
As part of the commemoration of ‘#OrangeTheWorld: 16 Days of Action to End Violence against Women’ the minister said that this “ is also a call to all to support women and girls socially, financially and economically.”
The Ministers of Women Affairs and Health, addressed the meeting with updates, while the Chairman of NPC also updated the meeting on the plans for the Nigerian Housing and Population Census which is scheduled to hold in 2022. In attendance at the meeting were other members of the UNFPA team including the Country Representative for Nigeria, Ulla E. Mueller.