Federal government has unveiled its plan towards up scaling its World bank partnered project, the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), to target more grassroots communities for economic empowerment.
Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, stated this at a strategic meeting with the World Bank, UNUCEF and other key partners, yesterday in Abuja.
She said the restructuring and up scaling of the of the NFWP aim at transforming the lives of rural women with interventions that would generate revenue for them, serve as a means of livelihood and improve their standard of living.
“We are here to find a way forward to enhance whatever has been done before so that it will suit what the new government wants. All we are here for is for enhancement because we cannot change what is already working well, so all we need is enhance and expand it to work better.
‘Some of the things we noted out and are pleading with the world Bank to look into include holding of meetings, advocacies and trainings because some Nigerian companies like the Rural Electrification Agency, (REA), Small and Medium Enterprises development Agency among others, have volunteered to take care of those parts, she said.
Responding, World Bank Operations Manager, Taimur Samad, said that “For us gender empowerment is critically important and a big part of our portfolio and we are highly committed on delivering of those results and it has been very important part of our engagement with states and most of what we do in Nigeria is at the state level and we will continue with the collaboration at the federal and state level.
“The NFWP is currently designed to reach the lives of millions of women and their families; World Bank is here at the service of the Nigerian government and its people.”
He adds that the bank is “always open to listen to thoughts and ideas.”
Also speaking, UNICEF Deputy Country Representative Dr Rownak Khan, observed that the ministry has recorded remarkable success in mobilizing substantial financial resources for fostering economic empowerment of women and girls across various regions in Nigeria through NFWP
According to her, “This collaboration will be instrumental in improving women’s access to resources and support system women entrepreneurship, stimulating the participation of women in business and private sector as well.
“This also reflects government commitment in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs) and it aligns seamlessly with the SDG 5, which is achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls.
“So hopefully, this will become a catalyst for gender equality, breaking barriers and fostering sustainable development in Nigeria.
She adds that “UNICEF is here because it is an organization for children so we cannot divide a mother from her child. What a woman does basically impact on the child and family and we take a holistic approach in encompassing all services related to children such as education, healthcare, including economic and social support to women in Nigeria.
