Source: Next
The Nigerian government needs to increase its investment in the education of women if the country is to achieve its dream of development. The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Josephine Anenih, said at the weekend in Ilorin.

Speaking at the 2011 International Women Day celebration and award to distinguished women in Kwara State, Mrs Anenih noted that illiteracy among a larger percentage of women remains a major problem for the country.

“In spite of all obstacles, Nigerian women have made great progress in our quest for equality, yet there is still a great deal to be achieved on many fronts,” she said. “The theme of the 2011 IWD, ‘Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women’ is a unique opportunity to reassess, reignite, inspire and channel Nigerian women’s equality struggle for the future. It is an explicit acknowledgement that we must invest in the education of our young women now, if we want them to become equal and useful partners in the societies of tomorrow.”

Kudos to Kwara women

The Minister who was represented by her Technical Adviser, Jummai Idonije, lauded Kwara State women for taking the lead in replicating the launch of the African Women’s Decade 2010-2020 (AWD).

She said as equal stakeholders in the Nigerian project, women must, in addition to demanding more than a participatory role, take up ownership of the transformation process at every level of policy formulation and decision-making in Nigeria.

Wife of the Kwara State governor, Oluwatoyin Saraki, urged African nations to domesticate and implement the provisions of the African Women protocol.

She also implored the in-coming administration to show more dedication to the service of humanity and better society and embark on different economic empowerment programmes, ranging from provision of micro-credit skills and disbursement of various loan facilities to women.

 

 

• Nigeria