Why we should invest in women- Abia Gov’s wife

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

 The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has given the reason it is very important to invest in women, explaining that such investment would be in the interest of the society at large.

Mrs. Otti observed that from the United Nations records, when women earn income, they reinvest up to 90 percent back into their families and communities, while men reinvest about 30–40 percent of earned income.

The wife of the Governor stated this during the official launch of the Ahiaoma Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme, an initiative of the Safe Tent Care Initiative.

She said investing in women was not just a social intervention; but a smart economic strategy.

She said the Ahiaoma Programme fits squarely within the vision of her husband’s administration, particularly in supporting vulnerable populations and advancing gender-responsive development.

Ahiaoma is not a one-off intervention. It is a structured and sustainable pathway to empowerment. In this first phase, we are supporting 200 women, with a clear goal of reaching 1,000 petty traders across Abia State within this year, and scaling even further as resources become available.

“Each beneficiary will receive a ₦100,000 seed grant not as a handout, but as support to help stabilize and grow her business.

“We are also providing Trade Support Kits to encourage better organization, proper record-keeping, and improved productivity.”

The Abia First Lady lauded Governor Otti, the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection and the Bank of Industry for their support.