The UNFPA Representative for Ghana Mr. Niyi Ojuolape on assumption of duty in Ghana paid a courtesy call on HE Samira Bawumia, the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana on the 24 of August 2017 in her Cantonment offices in Accra.   

 

Welcoming Mr. Ojuolape and briefing him on what she does as the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Bawumia pointed out that her role is to contribute to the overall development agenda of the country while supporting her husband to succeed as a leader. “I have a passion for young people and so most of my programmes are designed to reach them but I am a bit bias towards women and adolescent girls” she said.

HE Samira Bawumia who is the Founder and CEO of Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects, a non-profit organisation that focuses on health, education, gender parity and women empowerment, as well as entrepreneurial development said “There is a lot to be done in this country to enable us as citizens to feel the realization of the middle income status”. The Second Lady concluded by saying “One needs to start from somewhere so with my passion combined with the realities that I saw while on my husband’s campaign  trail, I decided to focus on education, health, women empowerment and entrepreneurial development as  areas of my intervention”.

 

Mr. Ojuolape informed the Second Lady that he had read and observed with keen interest her involvement in development programme activities and her articulation of issues relating to young people particularly young girls. He cited her participation in the adolescent reproductive health week launch and her participation in the just ended family planning summit (FP 2020) in London as examples. According to the Representative, her focus is just in line with the corporate mission of UNFPA – delivering in a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. 

The Representative added that currently UNFPA is leading the development partners and the UN on ensuring that Africa including Ghana, harness the demographic dividend that presents a window of hope for the continent. He stressed that “if we miss this opportunity, we will fail our generations yet unborn”.

The two discussed other issues of mutual interest and agreed to work together for the wellbeing of Ghanaian in general and adolescent girls in particular.