Kaduna Reference Point For Gender Responsive Governance – Institute

The Institute for Gender Policy Innovation (I-4GPI), an African policy think-tank said the policies introduced by Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, were reshaping opportunities for women and setting a new national benchmark for gender inclusion in governance.

Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, Director-General of the Institute, Hajiya Sabrina Wakili, said with many interventions introduced by Kaduna State government, Governor Uba Sani has positioned the state as a national reference point for gender-responsive governance.

The institute said the most revolutionary among these initiatives was the Gender-Responsive Public Procurement Policy, which has opened government contracting to women on an unprecedented scale.

According to Wakili, under the Kaduna State policy, 20% of goods contracts were reserved for women-owned businesses, 10% of consulting services were also set aside for women, “and five percent of works contracts are also allocated to women entrepreneurs.”

She said the policy also provided a 100% waiver on registration fees for women-owned firms and a 50% reduction in tender fees, making it easier for women to compete in public procurement.

The institute highlighted the Kaduna State Women Economic Empowerment Fund, which has provided financial support to thousands of women entrepreneurs across the state.

Wakili noted that the state government initiative has already benefited more than 10,700 women through cooperative financing and small business support, enabling many to start or expand enterprises in agriculture, retail, and food processing.