In a bid to ensure the realisation of its goal of promoting entrepreneurship and socio-economic development of women in the country, the Federal Government has distributed a total of 387 sustainable empowerment machines to 13 States of the Federation with a view to scaling-up the status of women and the vulnerable, especially those living in the rural areas.
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye who made the disclosure in Abuja, stated that the items are made up of Sewing Machines and accessories, sets of Rice Milling Machines, Garri Processing machines as well as Fish Grilling equipment and their accessories.
She stated that the items which were procured in line with needs of specific States, have been distributed to Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Adamawa, Niger, Gombe, Katsina, Benue, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Rivers States.
According to her, for the first phase of the distribution which was carried out following the recent launch of the Ministry’s E-Market Portal for Women, Rice Milling machines, Garri processing and frying machines, industrial sewing machines, industrial button hole holding machines, heavy industrial irons, Tapping machines, Steam Pressing machines, Sewing Machines for stretches and stitches, Cloth cutting machines, Fish smoking machines as well as 60,000 litres Fish rearing buckets were delivered.
Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye who explained that the strategies earlier deployed to improve the living standards of Nigerian women, especially at the grassroots, had not yielded much results as can be seen by the hardship in the land, stated that this informed her Ministry’s decision to change the narratives by providing sustainable empowerment machines and opportunities for skill acquisitions, to enable women earn good income that will enable them make positive economic contributions to their families and nation at large.
“We had to partner with a Chinese firm in Abuja last year to train participants from 7 States on Rice farming and processing in addition to other training programmes, with a view to building the capacity of Nigerian women in diverse business ventures, knowing that empowerment of the gender with its large population, will contribute immensely to reduction of poverty in the nation”, she said.
Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye added that the formal installation and commissioning ceremonies will be held in the 6 geo-political zones, in collaboration with State Commissioners for Women Affairs and the Council of Traditional Rulers to ensure seamless coordination, implementation as well as distribution of the empowerment equipment across the States.
Signed
Mrs. Grace Njoku
Head, Information & PR
