USAID, Ministry of Women Affairs Commission ‘Situation Room’ To Support Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Maryam Aminu

It is significant that this commissioning is holding on the wings of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign At the commencement of the National Response on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in 2005, issues of data collection and reporting were major challenges facing stakeholders. With stakeholders support and engagement, the Ministry was initially able to develop a paper-based data system that had multiple challenges, clogging down the wheel of progress on OVC service delivery and data tracking.

While trying to resolve the issues, USAID approached the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and proffered a solution by introducing the National Management Information System (NOMIS) which transformed OVC data situation in the Country.

The Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs ,Dame Pauline Tallen OFR KSG, mad the above statement while giving her remarks on Tuesday, 30th November, 2021 at the commissioning situation room to support orphans and vulnerable children.

“The gap in OVC data availability and reporting, despite the NOMIS prompted series of collaborative efforts between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, USAID and Data.Fi to revitalize the database by redesigning the NOMIS architecture to meet world standard, ensure compatibility with other databases and upgrading of the server.

The result of these efforts has brought us thus far to this historic event of a repositioned OVC situation room where real time data can be obtained with ease. This effort will no doubt enhance the Data Generation and Management at National, Regional and international levels during meetings on children, Tallen added.

The Honourable Minister commends the efforts of USAID and the ICT Team – Data.Fi towards the refurbishment of the OVC Situation Room towards achieving our set goals on OVC data availability for proper program planning and implementation to enhance OVC service delivery in the country.

Minister Tallen presented USAID with an award recognizing the Agency’s laudable substantial investments in women and children in Nigeria over the past two decades, auspiciously timed to coincide with the annual 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence commemoration around the world.

Dame Tallen urged for everyone’s continuous support not to relent until the narratives are changed.

Reacting to that, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Anne E. Patterson joined Federal Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen to launch a new National Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Situation Room at the Ministry.

Anne disclosed that USAID works closely with the Ministry to deliver multi-sectoral services – health, protection, household economic strengthening, and education – for vulnerable children and their caregivers through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) initiative. Under the Data for Implementation (Data.FI) activity.

USAID is strengthening the capacity of the Ministry to monitor and improve services through development and operationalization of effective data management systems, she stated.

“The mandate of the Ministry of Women Affairs — to promote women’s equality and opportunity and protect women and children from abuse and exploitation — also cuts across all USAID programming,” Ms. Patterson said.

“This new Situation Room is a collaboration that will help Nigeria prevent violence against women, improve resilience of vulnerable children and their caregivers, and respond to the needs of survivors of violence.”she added.

The Mission Director assured that the new Situation Room will harmonize OVC program reporting and optimize the National OVC Management Information System and harness the power of data to help case managers respond effectively — and provide appropriate services — to help these children affected by HIV in their families and communities.

USAID works closely with the Ministry to coordinate OVC interventions within its broader child protection and women’s empowerment mandate not only to mitigate the risks of HIV, but also to support caregivers to strengthen the economic resilience of their households.
Implemented by Palladium, Data.FI is among several USAID activities that help Nigeria provide essential social and health services to nearly 500,000 vulnerable children and their caregivers, including 13,000 children living with HIV.

Last year, more than 19,000 beneficiaries received USAID-supported GBV services in 7,500 government and private health service providers that provided counseling on gender inclusion, and gender-based violence prevention and response, she disclosed

“These efforts have brought us to this historic moment of opening a repositioned OVC situation room where we can obtain real time data with ease,”

“We are honored by this award,” Patterson said. “Our support to health care as well as livelihood training for caregivers through the Ministry of Women Affairs, will continue to ensure the nutritional, educational and other needs of some of the most vulnerable Nigerians are met.

Patterson seeked further collaboration to protect children and promote women’s equality.