The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has urged government at all levels to mainstream women- friendly policies to launch gender equality in Nigeria, saying making female gender economically active and buoyant is a watershed to the country’s peace and prosperity.
Oyebanji stressed that stability of any country begins from homestead, where women play pivotal and financially tasking roles in ensuring good education, morality and social inclusion of their children for personal and national development .
The governor said these on Friday, while inaugurating a multisectoral programme tagged: Nigeria For Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), held in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
Oyebanji, represented by his Deputy, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, described the NFWP-SU as a World Bank Assisted Programme with the objective of institutionalizing Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) and other platforms for Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) for improved economic opportunities.
He said the programme, which had taken off in six states of the federation, was aimed at empowering women, through a strategic partnership between the Federal Government and the World Bank, designed to support the Government’s goal of ensuring gender equality.
“The parent project tested the Women Affinity Group (WAG) model as a platform for addressing key constraints to women’s social and economic empowerment at the household and community levels, thereby, addressing barriers to women’s prosperity and building social assets for women empowerment.
“There is widespread evidence that enhancing women’s financial inclusion would generate significant economic and societal benefits. By building assets, women can better respond to family needs.
” When a woman has access to and control of financial products and services, she contributes to not only her own well-being but also the well-being of her family. When a woman saves in a safe place, she saves for her children’s education, her family’s health, and their better housing-building both security and prosperity.
“With greater security and prosperity, she gains greater economic empowerment, with ripple effects across communities and, eventually, societies” .
The governor commended the World Bank for its various interventions in the State, hoping that the project will achieve the desired objective of improved livelihood for Ekiti women.
In her remarks at the event, the State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Mrs Peju Babafemi, said Governor Oyebanji, has demonstrated enormous passion and readiness to breaking socio cultural and economic barriers inhibiting the development of the female gender.
She thanked Governor Oyebanji for the approval of the programme implementation in Ekiti State, saying that ensuring economic opportunities for women is an enduring strategy for addressing gender inequality, guaranteeing better education and improving the health and nutrition outcomes for families which Oyebanji had been championing
Babafemi thanked the first Lady, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji for her various initiatives on improving the living standards of women, girls, aged and the widows, saying that the outcome of this project would further compliment efforts of the State Government to improve the lives of women in Ekiti State.
The NFWP-SU project Coordinator in Ekiti State, Mrs Toyin Familoni, added that the state has made significant steps in ensuring gender balancing by promulgating laws that mainstreamed gender equality and remove discriminations against womenfolk.
To actualise the functionality of the programme, Familoni revealed that Governor Oyebanji had approved funding and provided accommodation for its operation, while also recommending three Local Governments as pilots to kickstart the project.
Responding on behalf of the MCS members, the Commissioner for budget Hon. Niyi Adebayo thanked the Governor for keying into a project that would change the lives of Ekiti women for better.
He said that the scope of the project addresses six thematic areas of the SDGS goals by providing platforms for job creation,Human Capital Development , Agriculture and rural Development which are three out of the six pillars agenda of Governor Oyebanji.
The Chairman of the MCS that will drive the project in the State is the State Commissioner for the Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management, Mr Oyeniyi Adebayo , while the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Olapeju Babafemi; the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Akin Oyebode; the Commissioner for Education,Dr Olabimpe Aderiye and the Commissioner for Agriculture , Mr Ebenezer Boluwade are members .
Other members of the MCS include: the Commissioner for Health ,Dr Oyebanji Filani ; the Commissioner for Trade, Industries , Investment and Cooperatives ,Mrs Omotayo Ademola and the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities Prof. Aluko while Mrs Toyin Familoni will serve as the State Project Coordinator of the programme