By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As Nigeria marks the 2024 International Women’s Day, IWD, the Minister of Women Affairs, Barr. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye said that the ministry on behalf of the Federal Government has given out several food processing machines to women in fifteen states.
The selected states include Anambra, Rivers, Imo, Kano, Lagos, Katsina, Gombe, kebbi, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue, and Jigawa.
Barr. Kennedy – Ohanenye disclosed this on Thursday at the official unveiling of the Nigerian Women Programme at the State House, Aso Villa, Abuja.
The minister stated that the first round of distribution of the various food processing machines to women particularly in rural areas is in line with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to help them ease their livelihoods.
She called on women in all the nooks and crannies of the country to give President Tinubu the needed support because he is working hard to get the country working again.
The minister disclosed that the ministry is interested in economic and social development of women to bring them out of suffering.
They say charity begins at home, as we speak we have brought so many machines like machines for women to grind foo foo. For those who sell bitter, we have macy to extract the water , rice peeling machines, cassava processing and gari frying machines.”
Kennedy- Ohanenye said that government has decided to involve the royal fathers to reach the rural communities.
She said, “The president is involving them today to enable us get to the women in the village. So they have a vital role to play in this whole thing.”
On the side of women Affairs we have moved ahead to show example, as they say, charity begins at home. We like to create examples. As we speak, we have brought so many machines. We are more interested in economic and social development to enable women sufferings to come down a little, to be reduced. They will make money with fewer sufferings. We get them, so many machines, like machines for women to grind foofoo. For those who sell bitter leaf, we have machines to extract the water, rice peeling machines that we bought. Cassava processing machines, gari fryer machine that can fry up to two bags.
We are taking off with these states Jigawa, Kano etc. The ministry is eager to mount these machines in these states to make it works.
The royal fathers are here too, because most times we don’t know how to get to women in the rural areas .
She noted that the president is involving them today to enable us get to the women in the village. So they have a vital role to play in this whole thing.
“We want them to know that we have already supplied the machines in the state ministry of Affairs.”
Meanwhile the minister stated that the launch of the E- Portal Market for women is to showcase what the women are producing and how to help them sell their produce.
“We will teach the women how to catch fish and to sell fish and also help them to save their money, that is why Managing Directors of Banks are here to help them. They have given them POS with only 20% interest.”
Speaking on the various Gender Based Violence, GBV, women often experience , the minister, said that the Nigerian Women Programme is to give women the needed voice to speech out while The Integrity Brigade is a platform for fighting for the rights of woman in a legal form.
She said, ” If a woman is maltreated in any form we will make noise and inform Nigerians that a woman has been maltreated come to our aid and everyone trust me will come to save us.”
Every child belongs to the state.
If you maltreat a child or a woman we will come after you. They are our child you can’t maltreat them. And I keep telling women don’t maltreat men too, she warned.
Daybreak reports that the theme for the 2024 IWD is,”Invest in women: Accelerate Progress”.
