Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki (5th Left); Team Lead, USAID, Dolapo Ogundehin (4th Left); Permanent Secretary, Government House and Protocol, Mrs Julie Olatunji (3rd Left); Commissioner for Social Development and Gender Issues, Mrs. Maria Edeko (6th Left), Chief Executive Officer, Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Dr. Kehinde Osinowo (6th Right), Chief of Party, ARFH ICHSSA-2 Project, Dr Felix Iwuala (5th Right); Edo State Program Coordinator, ARFH ICHSSA-2 Project Barr Gift Williams (4th Right) during a advocacy visit at the Government House, Benin City, on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
On March 29, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in company of Association for Reproductive and Family (ARFH-ICHSSA 2 Project), Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE and Global Health Supply Chain Management/PSM paid an advocacy visit to the First Lady of Edo State, Her Excellency, Mrs Betsy Obaseki. The visit was aimed at introducing the various USAID supported interventions in the state while also seeking for more collaboration with the Government to ensure ownership, sustainability and journey to self-reliance.
The First Lady of Edo State, Mrs Betsy Obaseki while receiving the team led by USAID Care and Treatment Lead, Ms Dolapo Ogundehin commended USAID, ARFH and other implementing partners for the good works done in Edo State.
Her Excellency expressed delight with the various interventions of USAID in Edo State and heartily welcome the additional projects. She urged USAID and Implementing Partners to mainstream the prevention of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in their various interventions.
“We value your contributions towards improving the overall wellbeing of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Edo State. You will always have my support. If we all do our bits, the society will be better for it” Her Excellency, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki said.
L-R: Mr Olugbenga Ayeni, Director, Finance & Operations, ICHSSA-2 Project; Dr Felix Iwuala, Chief of Party, ICHSSA-2 Project; Dr Mrs Kehinde Osinowo, CEO ARFH; Mrs Betsy Obaseki, First Lady of Edo State; Ms Dolapo Ogundehin, USAID Team Lead Care and Treatment; Mrs Yemisi Oshin, FDO, ICHSSA-2 Project; Dr Olufemi Oke, Director of Programs, ICHSSA-2 Project; Ms Faith Lannap, Deputy Chie of Party, ICHSSA-2 Project; and Barr Gift Williams, Edo State Program Coordinator, ICHSSA-2 Project. Photo Credit: ICHSSA-2 Project
While commending the state government, Ms Dolapo Ogundehin, USAID Care and Treatment Team Lead, noted that USAID has been supporting the Government of Nigeria for over 18 years now. She highlighted the various human centred developmental projects being supported by USAID in the State, including Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA -2) project implemented by Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Accelerating Control of the HIV Epidemic in Nigeria (ACE 6) being implemented by Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE, and Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management responsible for last mile COVID-19 vaccine delivery.
In addition, she noted that USAID Nigeria has supported Edo State government to place over 25,000 people on HIV treatment but there is still a huge unmet need of people that needs to be placed on treatment. She also added that an estimated 17,000 people are yet to be diagnosed of HIV out of which 38% of them are children.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of ARFH, Dr. (Mrs) Kehinde Osinowo, lauded the First Lady for the reputed good works in the fight against Gender Based Violence in Edo State.
She stated that ARFH has a national footprint and has worked across all the 36 States in Nigeria and the FCT. Specifically in Edo State, ARFH has enjoyed a good working relationship with the Edo State Government who provided the enabling environment to implement projects, including the current ICHSSA 2 project, which commenced in October 2021 in Edo State.
Dr. Osinowo reiterated ARFH’s mission to continue to collaborate with Government and other strategic partners to design and implement innovative and high impact programs and interventions for improved health and well-being of individuals and families in Africa.
