ActionAid gets £1.3m to mobilise women, youths for governance

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, ActionAid Nigeria has secured a £1.3 million grant from the United Kingdom through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to increase women and youths’ participation in politics and governance.

The Women-Youth Project (We-You), which runs from September 3, 2021, to August 31, 2023, is geared at campaigning for women and young people in governance across Rivers, Kaduna, and Kano states.

The project will, among others, mobilise a critical mass of young people and women leading issue-based campaigns towards translating citizens’ demands into policy action in the benefiting states.

While Nigeria currently ranked 146th out of 152 countries in the global gap index on political empowerment, in the legislature, only 4.5 per cent are women.

Specifically, women comprise 7.3 per cent in the Senate, while the House of Representatives only has 3.1 per cent.

The ActionAid County Director, Ene Obi, at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the British High Commission, yesterday, in Abuja, noted that the overall goal of the project was to contribute to the all-inclusive democratic process and enhance citizen-led action towards the improvement of good governance in the country.

Head of Governance, British High Commission, Nigeria, Sam Waldock, said UK has been supporting Nigeria for robust democracy since 1999 to the tune of £50 million.