From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has unveiled the Nigeria for women programme tagged, ‘P-Bat Cares for Nigerian Women,’ an initiative aimed at ensuring women are economically empowered, comprising an e-market portal, a national women’s helpline, Naija Save Nigeria Integrity/Transparency Brigade, and a Nigeria Be Informed National Broadcast Channel.
The programme is to further advance the cause of women and children in the country. The focus of the programme is on empowerment, protecting the rights of women and children as citizens of the country.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the President assured that his administration was working day and night to develop policies that would enable the growth of Nigerian women, but noted that policies alone could not fix everything.
“We need a change in attitude, the determination to make things work, and build our nation. This means knocking down the outdated obstacles that hold women back.
“Social and gender norms are a critical underlying factor limiting the progress of Nigerian women. There are so many unspoken barriers to women empowerment, many of which start from the birth of our female children, and run the course of their lives, limiting them mentally and physically. This has to stop.
“This administration is concerned about ending norms that affect our girl child and women. We need to take the diversity issue seriously. We need to do things differently, take a leap of faith, hire, promote and invest in our women.
“We know what it takes to have a more gender-inclusive country. We need to all make a deliberate effort to achieve this. It is time to empower our women.
“There is a limit, of course, to what the government can accomplish on its own. We extend a hand of partnership to all the stakeholders present and beyond, imploring them to join us in building our women and nation.
“Think of these and also of the millions of Nigerian women today, brimming with talent and potential, just waiting for the chance to make their mark and turn their dreams into reality.”
Speaking in his capacity as the SGF, Akume said the future of women in Nigeria looks promising with all that the ministry was doing to meet their needs.
He admitted that traditional institutions were closer to the people and were potent to the success of President Tinubu’s administration.
He said: “We will work together to ensure that women and children get what they deserve.
“We are not just committed to women in Abuja, but all over the country, particularly the most vulnerable in the country to increase their economic capacity.”
The SGF welcomed the use of technology in dispensing social welfare to the people, calling on international donors to continue to support the ministry.
He said that as the Ramadan period approaches and as Christians continue their fast, Nigerians must rise up to pray for a united and peaceful Nigeria and for the President.
He said: “Ours is a complex federation, where the three tiers of government all have access to federation accounts, and so if we work together, we can do more for our people.
“Things will begin to change as more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses make their way to the country and as we prepare for a new minimum wage.”
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, said women do not want to remain silent nor continue to make noise in the usual way by going on protests knowing full well President Tinubu cares for them.
The Minister said through Naija Save Nigeria Integrity/Transparency Brigade, her ministry would fight for the rights of women through legal form.
“If a woman has been maltreated, we will come out and make noise. If a child is maltreated, we will make the same noise and attract the attention of those who will come to our aid. We are asking for more compassion as women and human beings as a whole. So, let’s feel for one another because even God said we should love our neighbour as we love ourselves.”
She added that Naija Save Nigeria Integrity/Transparency Brigade, is to ensure that cases concerning women are promptly attended to at the courts and if they don’t, “We will head to the CJN’s office and cry to him, and he will have compassion on us because he has a mother. We will cry to the ones in the states and they will have compassion on us and listen. There’s nothing we will not achieve if we do so peacefully.”
Country Representative to the United Nations (UN) Women Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, noted that the programmes being launched by the Ministry of Women Affairs was in tandem with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Count HER In: Invest in Women; Accelerate Progress.”
She noted that the programme did not only capture women in the modern cities like Abuja but in rural areas.
She said investing in women was not only a matter of economic necessity, but also a fundamental human rights.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, noted the important role of traditional rulers being the closest to the people.
“As royal fathers, we know without mothers there can’t be men and without men there can’t be women. So, we are here to demonstrate our commitment to help the government succeed in its programmes.
“We are not anti-government, but anti-social ills. We assure the government that we are 100 percent ready. We have respect for women because they are the real wheel of development in the country.”
The monarch urged the minister of women affairs to be transparent in implementation of the programmes because “we will not support any dirty programme.”
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, also commended the minister for bringing governance closer to the people, noting that it was important for governance to be brought closer to the people.
He urged her to do more, particularly, for those in the rural areas “because there’s life beyond Abuja.
“Traditional rulers are closer to the people permanently. We face the good, the bad and the ugly all the time, while we see politicians once every four years. Let’s walk the talk and not just talk and talk. For some women, all they need is motivation, not just money and equipment.
“Continue to impact and instil culture to our children. Things are not okay with the country and we should all try and leave our comfort zone and show empathy and empower our people,” he said.