The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has called for a multi-sectoral approach in the upscaling of the economic status of women in Nigeria, with a view to ensuring the realization of sustainable growth and development in the country.
The Minister who made the call today in Abuja during the 2nd Meeting of the High Level Advisory Council (HLAC) on Supporting Women and Girls in Nigeria, stated that women occupy a very crucial position at all levels of human existence, as such, workable collaborative efforts must be put in place by both the private and public sectors to practically upscale their sources of income.
We are tired of talking without action, knowing that Nigerian women are suffering. We can’t continue to fold our arms and watch. This meeting therefore aims to charge members to look inwards, brainstorm, align with the new narratives and proffer workable solutions that will ensure the realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration, she said.
Kennedy-Ohanenye who noted that women’s economic empowerment is critical to national development, added that statistically, 70% of Nigerian women engage in informal economic activities, a situation which the federal government is working assiduously to reverse through various skill acquisition and other empowerment initiatives to enable them contribute meaningfully to the Gross Domestic Product of the nation.
In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, described Nigerian women as hardworking and resilient, deserving of financial, psychological, and social support to enable them give their best to their families and nation.
Nigerian women are the backbone of our economy, and their empowerment is crucial to our national progress. Without progress for women, there is no progress for the nation. I commend the Management and Staff of the Ministry, as well as the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, for their commitment to advancing the cause of women and girls in Nigeria, Bagudu said.
Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, stated that the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy, launched in May 2023, was designed to provide a holistic and multi-sectoral approach to women empowerment.
Represented by the Director, Women Development, Mrs. Friya Bulus, he said, we urge the Advisory Council to join hands with the Ministry to deliberately work assiduously towards advancing the economic empowerment of women as well as enthronement of gender equality in all segments of the economy.
In a Vote of Thanks, the Director, Economic Services Department of the Ministry,
Mrs. Blessing Anunike, commended the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) as well as the Albright Stonebridge for partnering with the Ministry on the implementation of the WEE Policy, especially at the sub-national level and also called on stakeholders at the meeting to approach the issue of women empowerment with a renewed sense of commitment as it was the foundation for sustainable development of the country.
HLAC is a High Level Presidential Advisory Council on support for women and girls in Nigeria, inaugurated in 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the National Launch of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy (WEE) to drive and coordinate the implementation of its policy and other gender focused programs of the Ministry and Government in general.
Signed
Mrs. Grace Njoku
Head, Information and Public Relations
