By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja – The European Union in partnership with Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organisation, on Wednesday hosted a summit to address challenges confronting adolescents in the North East of Nigeria.
Wemimo Onikan, Communication Officer of the organisation, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said the event was in response to the urgent need of adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age.
He said that the theme of the event, holding in Abuja on Nov. 14 and 15 is: “Reaching Adolescents in Emergencies: Getting it Right When It Matters Most”.
“The fate of adolescents in Nigeria’s troubled North-East region is in focus, as the European Union and global humanitarian actor, Mercy Corps, host a summit.
“The event is in response to an urgent need to address issues faced by adolescents in the region,’’ he said.
Onikan added that the event was organised in the framework of Investing in the Safety and Integrity of Nigerian Girls (I-SING) project.
He noted that the project initiative was funded by EU through its Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and implemented by Mercy Corps in Borno and Gombe from 2016.
He explained that the project had equipped over 17,000 adolescents with skills and support to improve their incomes and access to basic social services.
Others include nutrition, basic education as well as spaces to feel safe in their own communities.
NAN reports that Mercy Corps is a global organisation, partnering with communities, organisations and governments, to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Mercy Corps also works with over 5,000 team members in the world’s most vulnerable communities, across 40 countries. (NAN)