The Benue State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare has called for stronger collaboration and coordinated interventions among development partners to eliminate Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the state.

The Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Theresa Odachi Ikwue, made the call at a State-Level SGBV Donor and Development Partners Roundtable Meeting organised by International Institutions of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) in collaboration with the Ministry and other key stakeholders.

Mrs Ikwue reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that all Divisional Social Welfare Offices function optimally, emphasising the need for stakeholders to review their work plans and develop a unified framework to eliminate duplication, minimise resource wastage and maximise the impact of interventions.

She urged partners to strengthen synergy and explore practical approaches to improving coordination and eradicating SGBV across the state.

The meeting brought together the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Deborah Serumun Aber, Esq.; Director-General, Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD), Mr Leonard Vershima; UNFPA representative, Mr Christian Macaulay; UNHCR representative, Mrs Naomi, and other stakeholders.

Key discussions focused on mapping ongoing and planned SGBV interventions, funding sources, geographical coverage and target populations; identifying service delivery gaps and overlapping interventions; and strengthening coordination among government institutions, donors and implementing partners.

Participants also explored opportunities for joint programming, resource mobilisation and sustainable financing, with emphasis on developing a joint action plan and a sustainable framework for coordination, information sharing and monitoring of SGBV interventions in Benue State.

By Joy Akoh

Information Officer

Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare