The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs have inaugurated the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Database Situation Room.
Mrs Pauline Tallen, thr Minister of Women Affairs, while inaugurating the situation room in Abuja on Tuesday said the ministry had been advocating for availability of credible data in addressing challenges of vulnerable children.
According to Tallen, the issues of data collection and reporting are major challenge facing stakeholders.
She said that the ministry was able to develop a paper-based data system that had multiple challenges, clogging down the wheel of progress on the OVC service delivery and data tracking.
She said that this was achieved through stakeholders support and encouragement.
“While trying to resolve the issues, USAID approached the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and introduced the National Management Information System (NOMIS) which transformed OVC data situation.
”The gap in OVC data availability and reporting, despite the NOMIS prompted series of collaborations between the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, USAID and Data.Fi.
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”This is with a view to revitalise the database by redesigning the NOMIS architecture to meet world standard, ensure compatibility with other database and upgrade 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 obtain with ease.
“This efforts will no doubt enhance the data generation and management at national, regional and international levels during meetings on children,” she said.
The minister commended the effort of USAID, ICT team and Data.Fi toward refurbishment of the OVC situation room in order to achieve set goals of OVC data availability for proper planning.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highpoint of the event is the presentation of an award of excellence to USAID Mission in Nigeria, by the minister in recognition of its laudable initiative.
Earlier, the USAID Mission Director, Ms Anne Peterson, restated the agency’s commitment to continue in its efforts toward improving database on issues affecting orphans and vulnerable children.
