President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is committed to advancing the cause of women empowerment and gender equality in the country, while praising the resilient efforts of Nigerian women.
He also revealed that challenges faced by women which include limited access to education, land, healthcare, gender based violence, and economic disparities, must be recognised to drive positive change that will shape the future of the country.
Tinubu stated this during an event titled ‘Empower-Her: Nigeria for Women Farming, Health, Empowerment, Justice, Entertainment and Fund-raising Dinner, organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, in Abuja.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President disclosed that in the quest for fairness and sustainability, it must be ensured that women have equal access to justice and are protected from all forms of violence and discrimination.
He said: “It is imperative that we work together as a nation to break down these barriers and create opportunities for women to thrive and succeed.
“This requires strengthening our institutions, promoting gender sensitive policies and supporting women’s rights organizations”, he said.
“We must empower women, not just for their sake, but, for our entire nation, where women are empowered, families are stronger, communities are more vibrant and the nation is bold.
“We must prioritize investment in agricultural training, access to land. It is very critical that financial services are provided for women farmers.
“This will enable them to increase their use, improve their livelihoods and contribute to Nigeria’s food security”, he posited.
The event with the theme, ‘Empower Her’, had dignitaries from the public and private sectors that came to provide support for women.
Businessman, Authur Eze, while speaking with the press, called for more support to be channeled to the Women Affairs Ministry headed by Barr. Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, whom he described as “a woman that supports other women.”
He praised the efforts of President Tinubu in improving the country and lives of the people. “We pray to God to keep that man alive and create that change in Nigeria”, he said.
He described his donation of a 100 million naira as a show of support for Barr Kennedy-Ohaneye in her drive to improve the lives of women in the country, through the Women Affairs Foundation.
In her comments at the end of the event, while speaking with journalists, Barr. Kennedy-Ohaneye said the fund raising was for the affairs of Nigerian women, not for the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, “in case of people that love to nose around, people that love to get involved in things that don’t concern them.”
Her drive to make things work, even with no fund led her into calling for support to improve the lives of women.
“No money has been coming out of that ministry for me to work. Everything you saw, I have been using my money to do them. I thought out of the box to raise this money. I called on my brothers. If you check out, the most people that came here today, you can see for yourself. I don’t want to mention anything, because, we are one Nigeria.
“If I had kept quiet waiting for the Federal Minister Of Women Affairs, money to work, trust me, the President would have sacked me because, he’s a no nonsense President. He sent you there to give results. He sent you there to think out of the box to bring results. But, most times, I think out of the box and EFCC will come start asking question, something I’ve thought out of the box for.
“Now, I have gotten this mobile court for a while now, over five to six months ago, I didn’t have money to do nothing.”I can’t continue waiting for this mobile court, spending so much money in the normal courts and not getting results because, it takes a lot of time. That’s why the mobile court will need to take off”, the Minister said.
She also added that for the mobile court to take off, two busses will be needed per state, which will start with Abuja and Nasarawa state. According to her, one of the buses will be remoulded to a court, while the other would be used for raiding.
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