In her maiden visit to Niamey, Niger, from 5 to 8 July UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem addressed African leaders at a State dinner hosted by President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger. The African Union (AU) leaders were in Niger for a mid-year coordination meeting, as well as an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government that officially launched the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

During her address, she reported on the progress made 25 years after the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), was adopted in Cairo in 1994. She assessed the gaps and challenges, and invited the African leaders to recommit efforts aimed at accelerating the promise of availing access to sexual and reproductive health and rights to millions of women and girls.

The UNFPA Executive Director also participated in a roundtable conference aimed at mobilizing resources for the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) project, as well as in in a high-level meeting on the elimination of child marriage and the promotion of girls' schooling in West Africa. Both activities were attended by President Mahamadou Issoufou, African First Ladies, Technical and Financial Partners, CEOs and NGOs, who reaffirmed their commitment to invest more in favor of women and girls to accelerate growth in Africa.

Dr. Natalia Kamem visited some UNFPA projects in the field and had discussions with beneficiaries and Staff of UNFPA in Niger.