Kebbi State Government has domesticated the ‘Nigeria for Women Project’ under which two point seven billion Naira has been expended on the empowerment of more than fifty-eight thousand women.
Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu announced this in a message at the flag-off of the National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy Dialogue, a sub-national road show for the North-West, held at the Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi.
It is under the supervision of the Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Babale Umar, the governor said that Kebbi State also received three billion Naira, for the Kebbi-Cares Social Intervention Scheme, of which more than fifty per cent of the beneficiaries are women.
Bagudu also commended the Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, for promoting the well-being of the women folk, and safeguarding the integrity of womanhood.
The wife of the governor, Zainab Shinkafi, thanked the Federal Government and the Minister for Women’s Affairs, for giving prominence to Kebbi State, in the implementation of programmes with positive impacts on the lives of women.
Dr Zainab informed her guests that the Kebbi State Government has emphasized gender parity, and equity in governance and politics, as demonstrated by the incumbent administration, for making it possible, to have at least a female councillor, in all the twenty-one local government councils of the state.
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Flagging off the programme, the Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Tallen, congratulated Kebbi State Government, for fulfilling its promise, to create and enforce the law on the protection of child’s rights, and violence against individuals, including Gender Based Violence, GBV.
The minister spoke about the importance of joint efforts among local, state and federal governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, captains of industries, gender advocates, and other stakeholders, to attain Goal five of the United Nations on gender equality in society.
She acknowledged the contributions of women to economic growth and agricultural production in the country, urging men to offer the necessary support to their wives, to become active participants in business, trade, governance and politics.
The items were procured with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, to ease the cooking chores of rural women, safeguard their health and well-being, and minimize deforestation, by discouraging the use of firewood for cooking.
Editor: Ena Agbanoma