From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, in partnership with the World Bank and other critical stakeholders, has convened a Gender Mainstreaming and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Success Stories Dissemination Workshop under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project.
A statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Mrs Funmi Imuetinyan, in Abuja, says the TRIMING Project was designed to enhance irrigation systems and promote integrated water resource management, with gender and social safeguards as core components.
According to the statement, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, stressed that the project has transformed women, youth, and vulnerable groups from being marginalised to becoming vital contributors in agriculture and water governance.
It highlights the achievements of the project, including the development of GBV Action Plans across all schemes for risk mitigation and survivor support, women’s leadership in Water Users Associations (WUAs) enhancing inclusive decision-making, and the economic empowerment of women through active roles in irrigation management.
According to the statement, Prof. Utsev explained that extensive capacity-building on gender sensitivity and GBV prevention, the strengthening of local capacities, including youth champions and gender desk officers, cultural norm shifts through media, dialogues, and storytelling in local languages, as well as alignment with global best practices and World Bank environmental and social standards, are additional achievements of the project.
The statement applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the World Bank, and the Project Monitoring Unit for their support in driving TRIMING’s success, urging the replication of its gender and GBV initiatives in other projects and emphasising that achieving a gender-equitable, GBV-free society requires ongoing commitment and collaboration.
The Deputy Director of Irrigation in the Ministry, Mrs Hauwa Sadique Mohammed, who represented the Permanent Secretary, described the workshop as a milestone in advancing inclusivity, equity, and safety, particularly for women, girls, and vulnerable groups in the TRIMING Project.
According to the statement, the Permanent Secretary highlighted that from inception, the project prioritised gender equality, GBV prevention, and social inclusion, with gender mainstreaming embedded across all stages to ensure equal opportunities and safe spaces.
It added that the Project Coordinator, Engr. Ipinlaye Olaiya, while explaining the central role of gender mainstreaming across all components of the TRIMING Project, noted that the deliberate integration of gender perspectives was not only strategic but essential to the long-term sustainability and impact of the interventions.