Gov Lawal Has Transformed Zamfara Women Affairs Ministry – Official

Zamfara State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has made progress in social development since the inception of Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration, driven by the state’s Rescue Agenda, the ministry’s information officer Suleiman Aliyu Gusau has said.

He the administration had transformed the ministry from an organisation hampered by poor infrastructure and limited resources into a functional hub for delivering services to women, children, and other vulnerable groups across the state.

Gusau said, “Before 2023, the ministry operated under difficult conditions with inadequate office space and equipment, which hindered effective service delivery. The Lawal administration approved the reconstruction and furnishing of the ministry headquarters, provided essential office materials, and installed solar-powered electricity to boost productivity.

“The intervention also reached agencies and institutions under the ministry. The Gusau Orphanage Home, remand homes, and the approved school in Bungudu received rehabilitation, educational materials, and welfare support,” he said.

Several vulnerable children have been enrolled in schools from primary to tertiary levels, while others who completed rehabilitation and behavioural correction programmes have been reunited with their families.

The ongoing reconstruction of the Women Development Centre is nearing completion. Once finished, the centre will serve as a hub for vocational training, counselling services, marital dispute resolution, and weekly Friday sermons for women.

Under the commissioner, Dr. Aisha M.Z. Anka, and permanent secretary, Alhaji Garba Aliyu Gayari, the ministry has strengthened partnerships with local and international development organisations, he said.

gusau said UNICEF had collaborated with the ministry to return out-of-school children to the classrooms and support child protection programmes. The United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] trained 80 women in vocational skills and provided starter packs to aid their economic independence.

A key milestone is the establishment of the Huriyya Dauda Lawal Sexual Assault Referral Centre, the first of its kind in Zamfara. The centre offers medical care, counselling, and support services to victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

The ministry, with support from the office of the First Lady, Hajiya Huriyya Dauda Lawal, has also carried out awareness campaigns on gender-based violence, educating women and the public on its social, economic, and educational consequences, he added.

“The achievements recorded so far clearly reflect the determination of Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration to build an inclusive society where women, children, and vulnerable groups are protected, empowered, and given opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state,” the statement stated