The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is collaborating with WEMA Bank Plc on a new initiative aimed at empowering 500,000 women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The partnership, under the Ministry’s women cluster arrangement, focuses on skill acquisition, agriculture, provision of grants and loans, and dedicating part of WEMA Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards women-focused programs.
At a meeting with WEMA Bank officials and partners on Monday, Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, emphasized that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to tackle poverty, and unemployment, and improve living standards.
Kennedy-Ohanenye highlighted that women’s economic empowerment is critical for addressing issues such as poverty, early marriages, and domestic violence, particularly in rural areas.
She noted that with women and children making up 70% of Nigeria’s population, empowering women in skills like farming, food processing, and tailoring would not only reduce out-of-school dropouts and gender-based violence but also contribute significantly to family and national development.
WEMA Bank’s Managing Director, Moruf Oseni, represented by Executive Director Tunde Mabawonku, confirmed the bank’s commitment to the Ministry’s efforts through the MOWA-SARA Accelerator Program, pledging that a portion of the bank’s CSR will focus on improving the economic status of women across the country.
In a related development, the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs has announced a strategic partnership with Atlanta, Georgia, to cultivate and export Sunflower and Jatropha Curcas plants.
The groundbreaking move was unveiled by the Minister at a two-day Capacity Building Workshop for Commissioners of Women Affairs, organized by the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development in collaboration with UN Women and the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.
The initiative seeks to raise capital for small-scale women-owned businesses, alleviate poverty, and create job opportunities, while simultaneously contributing to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
