The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with a non-governmental organisation, Value Female Network (VFN) Africa, has donated multi-million naira worth of medical and non-medical equipment to the Osun State Government.

The intervention is part of efforts at tackling sexual and gender based violence and ensuring that survivors of abuse receive necessary medical care and psycho-social support at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), now known as Succour Centre.

The donated equipment included essential supplies, dignity kits, medical items, and ICT tools, which UNICEF noted would strengthen care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in the state.

Handing over the items on Friday at a High-Level Partnership Engagement programme at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo, UNICEF Child Protection Manager Mona Aika, in her goodwill message, stressed that the support extends beyond the provision of supplies.

She recognised that the Succour Centre is essential in strengthening Osun State’s child protection system, bringing together health, justice, welfare, and security actors under one roof. She stressed that the Centre cannot function in isolation but must stay closely linked to wider child protection structures to ensure survivors of sexual and gender-based violence receive timely, coordinated, and high-quality care.

In her keynote address, the Executive Director of VFN Africa, Dr. Costly Aderibigbe-Saba, revealed that the intervention would bring relief for survivors and galvanise a multi-sectoral care for survivors of sexual violence.

Aderibigbe-Saba, who herself is a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation, added that with UNICEF’s support, the Centre has been renovated, equipped, and linked to Primero CPIMS, while first responders are being trained across the state.

Representing the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, the Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola, commended UNICEF and VFN, highlighting government’s strong ownership.

He said the centre space was provided by the Ministry of Health within a state hospital, ensuring easy referrals, laboratory tests, and medical care.

The governor added that the Ministries of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Health, and Justice have also deployed social workers, nurses, police officers, and legal staff to ensure survivors receive timely, multi-sectoral services.

Also present were the Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Welfare; Hon. Ayobola Fadeyi Awolowo, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Oluwole-Jimi Bada, SAN, Chairman of the House Committee on Youths, Sports and Special Needs: Hon. Abiola Jeremiah Awoyeye, Permanent Secretaries, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs, Hon. Mrs Sekinat Temilade, Executive Secretaries of various agencies, representatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Civil Defence Corps, religious leaders, among many other relevant stakeholders.

Together, they pledged stronger collaboration to end violence and harmful practices, and to build a Safer Osun where every survivor finds justice, healing, and protection.

“One vision, one commitment: a safer Osun, where every child is free from violence and no survivor is left behind,” Aderibigbe-Saba noted.