Minister Urges Entrenchment Of Gender Equality, Women Empowerment

Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has called for concerted efforts to ensure the entrenchment of gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion in the country.

The minister said this is in line with Nigeria’s policy agenda and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda of leaving no one behind.

Kennedy-Ohanenye mentioned this at the “Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria Project Close-out and Dissemination” ceremony organised by ActionAid in Ilorin, Kwara State.

She lauded ActionAid for increasing women’s participation in leadership and key decision-making processes in the seven states driven by the project.

The minister added that the project had allowed women to utilise their inherent leadership and negotiation skills to address overwhelming governance issues in their communities, states and the country.

Kennedy-Ohanenye, therefore, called on ActionAid Nigeria and other partnering organisations to consciously ensure the sustainability of the project’s achievements and lessons learned and to expand the project to the remaining states of the country.

“While expressing my joy over the successful completion of the project, which has brought about acceleration on the increase of women’s voice, their participation and visibility in leadership positions, especially in the seven states that participated in the programme, permit me to sincerely commend ActionAid Nigeria and all her implementing team for their dogged commitment all through the implementing period.”

In his remarks, Kwara State governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq commended ActionAid Nigeria for supporting women’s participation in politics in the state and championing children’s rights, which are part of his administration’s policies.

Abdulrazaq, who spoke through the state commissioner for finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, assured ActionAid Nigeria and its implementing partners that the state government would continue to provide technical and financial support to ensure the project’s success.

Earlier, ActionAid Nigeria’s country director, Andrew Mamedu, who was represented by the coordinator for the North of Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria Project, Noro Bature, said the project, which Global Affairs Canada funded, was driven by an unwavering commitment to empowering women, challenging entrenched cultural practices, and promoting gender equality.

Memedu disclosed that about 469,130 women and girls in communities in the 16 local government areas of Kwara State have received direct support from the organisation through 12 community-based organisations and 100 women’s rights organisations.