No fewer than 5 million women across the country are expected to benefit from a Federal Government financial capacity building and entrepreneurship support.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this on Wednesday in her keynote address at the 2025 Pre-5th Colloquium event tagged ‘Peace Africa’.
The event with the theme: ‘Women Entrepreneurs as a Catalyst for Sustainable Developments and Economic Growth’, is organised by the Pan-African Africa Young Women.
Represented by Mrs Ola Erinfolami, her Special Assistant/Director of Administration, Suleiman-Ibrahim said that the Federal Government through her ministry was working to deliver initiatives by empowering women not just as beneficiaries but builders of the future.
According to her, “We are scaling up the ‘Nigerian Women Project’, which is expected to reach more than five million women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with financial capacity building and entrepreneurship support.
”We are implementing a campaign to end energy poverty for women through solar home systems and technical skills solutions because digital and climate justice must include women.
”We are also advocating for gender responsive legislation including special seats reservation for women.
”But beyond programmes, we all must shift power that means breaking down structural barriers that exclude women from becoming economically and politically viable and relevant with dignity.
”Young African women must be equipped with inspiration, platforms, resources and an enabling environment to take the legacies of our great women and heroines forward.
”It is also worthy to note that there can be no transformation in Africa without the full participation and leadership of African women.”
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, represented by ACP Zainab Bello, stressed the need for peace to allow women contribute their quota to the development of the country.
”We need peace; and women cannot sit down and keep quiet and expect peace to meet them.
”Peace is an expensive commodity; women have to stand and fight for it, because, once it is taken away, they become the greatest losers,” he said.
Similarly, the wife of the Ooni of Ife, Dr Temitope Enitan-Ogunwusi, encouraged women to have self-love, high-self esteem and be positive to attract positive things.
Enitan-Ogunwusi urged the women not to allow anyone define who they are, adding that they were created by God as the best thing to happen to humanity.
Similarly, the Founder of Pan-African Africa Young Women, Dr Jophia Gupar, said the essence of the event was about the 5th edition of the African Women’s Colloquium on Development and Awards.
”What we normally do is that before the main event, we have a pre-event so that we bring women together; we share the concept with them, and then also get them involved in the process of the programme.
”So what we are doing today is a pre-event of the colloquium that is coming up in October in Cape Town, South Africa,” Gupar said.
She explained that the initiative, which started before COVID-19 pandemic, aimed at encouraging women to see how they could integrate and enhance their businesses.
She said that the initiative was now in 27 countries in Africa.
Meanwhile, the President of National Council for Women Society, Princess Edna Azura, commended the initiative, noting that the founding mothers hinged on the plans of the organisation.
”All they wanted to see was for Nigerian women to be educated, empowered and freely move in the society like the men do, as well as to be aware of who they are,” she said.
The issues discussed during the panel of discussion include, agricultural value chain, women empowerment, value addition by women in the society, rebranding of mindset of women, sustainable growth, food security and many others.
The event attracted officials from the Ministry of Youths, Nigerian Custom Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Civil Society Organisations and relevant stakeholders. (NAN)
