The Federal Government has expressed its desire to partner with the Council of Traditional Rulers to ensure the promotion of entrepreneurship and skill acquisition at the grassroots.
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye made the disclosure Monday, when a delegation from the National Council of Traditional Rulers, led by its Director, Administration and Finance, Alh Kassim Yawa, paid a courtesy visit to her office in Abuja.
The Minister stated that Traditional Institutions as chief custodians of the peoples’ culture, already have the needed structures on ground to reach out to the youth, women and vulnerable groups with ease.
“Having identified the role of traditional rulers as rallying points in the coordination of communities in every given society, we want to leverage on their structures to ensure that the present administration’s efforts at tackling poverty and unemployment at the grassroots is achieved.”
“Using the District and Village Heads therefore, we will onboard the formed cooperative societies on the Ministry’s E-Commerce Portal while they monitor the progress so far made and advice government accordingly”, she said.
Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye explained that this will further strengthen the masses’ belief in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration which is among others, tailored to create jobs, tackle poverty and boost productivity.
Under her watch, she added, the Ministry will continue to develop initiatives and programmes aimed at boosting the development of women, the vulnerable and children to ensure entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
The Minister called on the Council to further sensitize their subjects at the grassroots, especially women, youth and the vulnerable, to key-into the initiative in order to expand their knowledge base to be able to make meaningful contributions to the growth and development of their families and the nation at large.
Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye informed that so far; industrial machines for grinding, sewing, garri processing, fish drying, rice milling among others have been distributed to 15 States in its pilot phase, viz; Anambra, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Katsina, Gombe, Kebbi, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue and Jigawa with plans underway to integrate other States durng the next phase of distribution.
She commended the National Council of Traditional Rulers for its commitment to the development of the people in line with the policy objectives of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration.
Earlier, the Director, Administration and Finance, National Council of Traditional Rulers, Alh. Kassim Yawa, stated that the delegation was in the Ministry to seek possible areas of collaboration.
While pledging the Council’s commitment to the initiatives, projects and programmes of the present Administration, Alh. Yawa commended the Honourable Minister, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the Management and Staff of the Ministry as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in particular, for their dogged commitment to the well-being of Nigerians, especially women, youth, children and the vulnerable in society.
Signed
Mrs Grace Njoku
Head, Press and Public Relations
