Tinubu celebrates Nigerian women, unveils empowerment initiatives

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to uplifting all women, especially those in rural communities, even as he hailed Nigerian women, describing them as “pillars of wealth and power”.

Mr Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, spoke at the unveiling of the Nigeria for Women Programme in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital territory, to commemorate the 2024 edition of the International Women’s Day.

The president acknowledged the women’s “indispensable contributions to the nation’s progress”.

“My administration is committed to Nigerian women, and this is reflected in my policies,” he said, “The future of women in Nigeria looks very promising.”

Emphasising his administration’s dedication to empowering women, President Tinubu pledged support for transformative projects under the Ministry of Women Affairs, which he noted are aimed at enhancing opportunities for women across the nation.

“The Ministry of Women Affairs is working day and night, leaving no stone unturned to ensure all your needs are met and exceeded,” he said.

He underscored the importance of collaboration with traditional rulers and international organisations to eradicate poverty among women.

“I will continue to share with you core ideas that will move our nation forward,” he stressed.

Minister speaks

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, echoed the call for support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, highlighting ongoing efforts to alleviate rural women’s hardships through sustainable empowerment initiatives.

“We want President Tinubu to have all the support he needs because he seems to care about us and has been working so hard to get the country working again,” she said.

“If we have trained so many people and they are on the streets doing nothing, it’s time to empower those that have been trained. When we empower them, we will reduce poverty, but if we keep training them without that empowerment, we are increasing poverty”.

She said the distribution of essential resources and innovative tools like fish grilling machines, rice processing machines, cassava (Akpu) machines, bitter leaf machines, garri processing machines, and pink riders tricycles is to empower women in various states.

The states that have received these machines are Anambra, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Katsina, Gombe, Kebbi, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue, and Jigawa.

“We have moved ahead to set an example. As they say, charity begins at home. So we have to first set an example. As we speak, we have acquired so many machines because we are interested in economic sustainable development to reduce the suffering of women so that they can make money with less suffering,” she said.

Mrs Kennedy-Ohanenye also stressed the importance of amplifying women’s voices and engaging traditional rulers as crucial allies in grassroots empowerment efforts.

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“The royal fathers are here because the women’s national anthem says, we can’t remain silent. They are here to give us a voice. This is because when we give out these items, women in rural areas are not benefiting. After all, sometimes, they don’t know how to get them. That’s why Mr. President is involving them today to enable us to reach their women in the villages, so they have a vital role as major coordinators,” she said.

E-market portal

The minister unveiled plans for an e-market portal to showcase women’s entrepreneurial endeavours, providing a platform for economic empowerment and visibility.

Furthermore, she introduced the Integrity Brigade initiative, which she said is aimed at safeguarding women’s rights, expressing optimism that it would address longstanding challenges faced by women.

“We will not keep silent…Naija Save Nigeria Integrity Brigade is going to fight for the rights of women legally. If a woman is maltreated by anyone, we will come and make noise and tell Nigerians that a woman has been maltreated, come to our aid…I also told women, don’t maltreat the men too because they are our children,” she said.

Sultan speaks

In his address, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, commended what he described as women’s natural leadership abilities, even as he urged transparency in collaboration with traditional leaders to ensure the effective implementation of the empowerment initiatives.

He advised the government to create an enabling environment for women’s advancement, recognising their pivotal role in societal development.

The Ooni of Ife, Ẹnitan Ogunwusi, urged the stakeholders to maintain openness in their collaboration with traditional rulers to achieve the scheme’s objectives. He also advocated gender-sensitive policies to empower women in alignment with African cultural values.