As part of its strategic intervention to improve access to women and girls, the Lagos State Government has set up a nine-member committee to domesticate the National Women’s Economic Empowerment policy (WEE) in the state.
The state’s commissioner of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Cecelia Bolaji Dada, disclosed this when a delegation from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and the development Research and Projects Centre paid a follow-up visit on the implementation of the guidelines set up to domesticate the WEE policy in the state.
The National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy was launched in 2023 as a policy guide designed to provide financial inclusion, gender mainstreaming, access to opportunities and markets, skills acquisition, and closing all gaps hindering women’s development and growth in Nigeria.
The Commissioner commended NIPSS and dRPC for selecting Lagos State as one of the cohorts at the subnational level to work with in domesticating the policy, which she said is in line with Governor Sanwo Olu’s vision for gender inclusion and economic empowerment of all Lagosians.
She noted that several WEE engagements have been implemented in the state, but it was expedient to domesticate this National WEE policy to guide its implementation. She committed to domesticating the policy, and as a show of commitment, she noted that the committee selection that would drive the process would commence today, following this engagement.
The permanent secretary, Mrs Yemi Kalesanwo, reiterated the Ministry’s unwavering commitment. She emphasised that Lagos State is fully dedicated to domesticating the policy, with the ultimate goal of significantly improving the lives and livelihoods of women in the state. This commitment instils confidence in the audience about the future implementation of the policy.
Earlier, the director-general of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Professor Ayo Omotayo, disclosed that the visit was a follow-up advocacy engagement to discuss the implementation of actionable steps towards the adoption, domestication, and implementation of the National WEE Policy at the state level.
He revealed that NIPSS and the dRPC are working closely with seven states from the six geopolitical zones to domesticate to support the domestication of the WEE policy in Nigeria in the next two years, adding that additional cohorts of subnational will then be supported to domesticate the policy. He said this is due to the two organisations’ commitment to promoting inclusive governance and empowering Nigerian women.
In his remarks at the occasion, the dRPC Director of Projects, Dr Stanley Ukpai, commended the Lagos state government for its innovative governance and inclusive approach to development.
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