[Nigeria] Over 12,000 Women Benefit From Poverty Alleviation Programme

from The Daily Independent

Lagos State Government has disclosed that it has empowered more than 12,000 women as part of its poverty alleviation programme.

Governor Bola Tinubu made the disclosure at the weekend as he joined thousands of women in commemorating this year’s World Women Day celebrations.

Speaking at the women’s rally and exhibition which took place at the Police College, Ikeja, Tinubu said his administration has empowered a clear majority of the people of the state with both cash and equipment like block making and vulcanising machines.

The Governor was represented by the Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Ebenezer Akinbolade. He called for the exclusion of the gender stereotype that labels womanhood as weakling, incorrigible and dispensable.

The Governor added that he has introduced an array of programmes including skill acquisition, micro-credit soft loans, financial and material empowerment to uplift women and children. He disclosed that the long-term vocational training for women is targeted at adolescent girls and school dropouts.

He reiterated that his administration places high premium on girl-child education and has been worried by the rise in the number of girls leaving schools for various reasons. Women have also benefited immensely from the administration in terms of appointment as judges and permanent secretaries, he added.

“Because of the impressive performance of the existing ones, plans have been concluded to establish more vocational centres to spread the gains of democracy and to further empower women.”

A lot more, he insisted, needs to be done to fully integrate the woman into the socio-political and economic scheme to enable her play her divine role of a creator, maintainer, purifier and organiser.

The state government has also established a widowhood unit to educate widows on their rights and privileges and also to sensitise the public and create awareness on the plight of widows.