FG unveils sustainable empowerment initiatives to enhance economic status of women

By Mo Isa

In its avowed determination to ensure the protection and advancement of the social rights of the feminine gender, the Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive plan for sustainable empowerment initiatives that will enhance the economic status of women and the vulnerable in the country

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye made the disclosure Tuesday, in her Office in Abuja, while briefing journalists on the efforts put in place so far by the Ministry towards the upliftment of the lives of Nigerian women and the vulnerable, especially at the grassroots

She informed that to ensure the realisation of this objective, a total of 386 equipment have been distributed to 15 States of the Federation to boost their economic status with a view to making them self-reliant and employers of labour, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the country in line with the policy thrust of the present administration

Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye highlighted the Ministry’s approach towards sustainable empowerment, focusing on providing women with the necessary tools and machinery to kickstart and sustain their businesses. These she said, include equipment for agriculture, such as cassava processing machines, fish ponds, and irrigation systems, as well as industrial machines for sewing and garment production.

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For the first phase, we have distributed these items to Anambra, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Katsina, Gombe, Kebbi, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue and Jigawa States and have drawn out modalities for the next tranche of empowerment in other States and the idea is in fulfilment of my pronouncement in August last year on resumption of duty to change the narratives on empowerment of women in Nigeria.

The Minister, who emphasised the importance of community involvement in the process, informed that the Ministry had established an E-commerce Portal to facilitate easy trading and therefore urged them to register on the platform through their Cooperative Societies

She explained that the initiative extends beyond the provision of equipment for them but also encompasses training programmes conducted by experts to equip women for various aspects of farming, livestock rearing, and small-scale industries. “The goal is to empower women to not only generate income but also become self-sufficient entrepreneurs, capable of supporting their families,” the Minister added

Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye noted that the Ministry was ready to collaborate with other government agencies and private organisations to ensure the success of these efforts, especially in the areas of training, maintenance services for the distribution of machinery to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the programme

“The Ministry is working in collaboration with State Commissioners for Women Affairs and Council of Traditional Rulers to ensure transparency, proper coordination and implementation of the distributed equipment as well as items across the various States,” she said.

Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye assured that the Ministry will continue to create an enabling environment for the upliftment of the lives of women, children and the vulnerable in society, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration.