The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has donated obstetrics equipment to Nigeria's northwestern state of Sokoto worth 2.3 million U.S. dollars, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported Tuesday.

Ten health centers in each of the 23 local government areas and 11 general hospitals in the state are expected to benefit from the donated obstetrics equipment, said Sokoto State Deputy Governor Alhaji Garba Mohammed.

Attending the ceremony of distributing the medical equipment to the beneficiaries on Monday, Mohammed said the gesture would " complement government's efforts in the delivery of qualitative maternal health care services."

He said as part of its commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the UNFPA, the Sokoto state government had released 5 million naira (about 38,500 dollars) this year as its counterpart contribution.

Mohammed commended UNFPA, the World Health Organization and other international donor agencies for their continuous support for the state.

At the ceremony, Salma Burton, UNFPA Deputy Country Representative in Nigeria, said the fund is also committing 1.1 million dollars in direct assistance to the state.

"The UNFPA is also providing medical equipment and reproductive health commodities to the state, including contraceptives, safe motherhood kits and other consumables to 230 primary health care and 23 secondary referral facilities," she said.

Source: Xinhua