Plan International to support 20 million girls in five years

Plan International has unveiled plans to support 20 million girls across its six thematic areas, including education, livelihood, nutritional support, and skills acquisition, among others.

The Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Charles Usie, while unveiling the strategic plan of the organisation for the next five years, said they are going to support 20 million girls across the 36 states.

Reeling out some of their achievements in the last 10 years of being in the country, Usie said in partnership with development partners, they have mobilised 180 million euros, about N100 billion, to deliver about 127 projects across 19 states of the federation.

He said they have mobilised resources from Europe, North America, and the United States to support 36 million Nigerians across the states in the areas of education, livelihood, and nutritional support.

He disclosed that they currently have about 24 ongoing projects across the states, including humanitarian and development projects focused on children, girls, women, boys, and men.

He maintained that since 2014, when they arrived in the country, they have established themselves as one of the pioneer organisations for girl child education and children’s rights, saying the international organisation, with a presence in 75 countries, was established 85 years ago to seek the rights of children as well as equality for girls.

Usie said, “In the last 10 years, we have added value. We will not be part of the people who have made Nigerians suffer. Instead, we bring succour; in fact, we instigate hope for many people who would have lost hope, people who would have suffered unnecessarily. We have stepped in to support whatever the government and other development partners are doing.”

He said that education is their main priority in Nigeria as they have supported the construction and rehabilitation of about 517 schools in the North East. They believe that if children, especially girls, are well educated and informed with the right skills, they will grow up, thrive, and be productive for themselves and society.

He also revealed that they have invested massively in the sexual and reproductive health of women, girls, and children across different states, saying sexual and reproductive health and rights have been a central part of what they do in Nigeria.

The Country Director said they also focus on child development, especially within the ages of 5-24 years for adolescent girls, as well as protection from violence, abuse, and discrimination, adding that they have trained youths in some communities to be peace advocates.

He said they have also established incubation centres in some states to enable the youth to acquire entrepreneurial skills at no cost, disclosing that the first female phone repairer in Borno State was supported by Plan International Nigeria.

In the area of nutrition, Usie disclosed that the organisation is the biggest agent of the World Food Program (WFP) for food distribution and engagement for internally displaced persons, as they provide food for 300,000 persons daily in Nigeria.

He said they have established about four stabilisation centres in Yobe alone to take care of malnourished children.

Going forward, he maintained that the six thematic areas remain sacrosanct, as they will continue to invest in these areas and do as much as they can for Nigerians, saying their target for the next two to five years is to reach and serve.

He disclosed that they created a youth platform named “Girls Get Equal,” where young girls mobilise themselves into groups across Nigeria, as they currently have representation from 12 states.

He said, “The girls are learning, supporting each other, championing each other, carrying out campaigns and advocacy for things that concern them. As girls, they are speaking loudly, questioning, and holding the government to account, seeking their rights.”