Group Unveils $1b Fund For 15m Nigerian Girls

The Plan International, a Non-governmental Organization, has unveiled a $1 billion-dollar global strategy fund.

The fund is targeted at 15 million Nigerian girls in order to address problems affecting children’s rights and well-being in the country.

This was made known in Abuja on Monday, at the Global Strategy Launch 2022-2027, with the theme ‘Girls Standing Strong to Make Global Change’.

The Country Director of Plan International, Charles Usie, revealed that 15 million girls had already been targeted under the programme in Nigeria, out of a total global number of 200 million, noting that the focus was to ensure the girls had the strength to tackle issues they faced.

He said, “So the new strategy brings a new focus to girls and young people in meaningful ways. And by this we mean we want to in the next five years, build strength in the movement of young people and girls to tackle the issues that young people face, particularly young girls.”

The group CEO said the plan was to invest in, and globally reach the targeted 200 million girls, through its recently launched Global Girls Foundation. He also commended the role of the federal government in supporting the course, while expressing hopes for sustained and improved collaboration.

On her part, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, represented by the Director, of Child Development Department, Ali Madugu, assured the group of continuous support to promote the rights of the girl-child, adding that the ministry would henceforth include a budget line for girls’ education.