By Asma’u Ahmad
The Country Director of UNAIDS, Dr. Bilali Camara, said the agency would redouble efforts and intensify collaborations with University of Benin to boost research towards elimination of HIV/AIDS and youth enhancement programmes.
Dr. Camara made this known while receiving award by University of Benin for his performance in humanitarian services in Nigeria in Abuja.
He said that the collaboration will also enhance to spread messages of HIV/AIDS services within the university community and environs.
He said: “We strongly believe that when we work with the academia on this two areas we will fast-track and excel in elimination of HIV/AIDS as a public burden quickly. We will also collaborate with the university to ensure that the young people future is made brighter to the youth harness there potentials.
“We will also intervene to ensure that the university is linked with various development plans of the government. The UN system would ensure that university and government are discussing to enable the university benefits from development programmes of the government.”
Camara said that the UN system was already collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through various programmes to support youths in Nigeria to excel.
The Dean Faculty of Management Science, UNIBEN, Prof. Ifuero Osanwonyi, who presented the award to Dr. Camara, said that it was to appreciate and motivate him and others.
Professor Osanwonyi, who was represented by Dr. Chris Oyie from the same faculty, noted that the recipient tried to uplift the life of people while he was at UNICEF, UNFPA and now UNAIDS.
