Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs on Monday unveiled key programmes targeted at empowering women across the country and improving their productivity in actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking after a solidarity walk with women groups as part of activities to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration in Abuja, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye identified the programmes to include a $100m World Bank funded Nigeria for women project and the President Bola Tinubu (P-BAT) Cares for Nigerian Women project.
She said the President will launch the programme on 7 March.
The $100m Fund Project tagged P-BAT Cares For Nigerian Women is to economically empower the Nigerian Women.
While emphasising the importance of taking care of women for national growth and development, the Minister also passionately appealed to the man media to join in the efforts to ensure that the programmes achieved intended benefits for the beneficiaries by being part of “Integrity Brigade” for the initiative.
She said the aim pf the Integrity Brigade will be to police touted as aimed at empowering women to ensure to ensure they reach their intended beneficiaries, reiterated Government’s commitment to sustainability and Women Empowerment.
She also said the Federal Government will go after Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and institutions collecting funds from international donors and end up spending the bulk of the funds on technical support, trainings, research and others.
“The president will officially be launching the P-BAT Cares for Nigerian Women alongside other programmes like the Nigeria for Women project and the Integrity Brigade which I want all of you to be part of.
“As members of the integrity brigade. you play a crucial role in helping us fight some of these challenges. The royal father’s and the religious leaders are also part of this Vanguard that the President will be launching.
” But the media is very important to me because it is only you that I can use to achieve our goals for this country,” she said.
She noted that most of the intervention programs in the form of loans aimed at empowering women, end up in the hands of few greedy persons.
The minister expressed worries that some of those she called greedy , approached donor organisations in the name of the vulnerable in Nigeria but end up pocketing the funds, rather than use it to assist the poor and vulnerable.
“They use terms like consultancy, advocacy, research and to get these monies but for how long should we allow this as Nigerians.
“I want you people, (the media), to join the integrity brigade, that the integrity brigade is to fight these ills.
“So I am pleading that for the sake of our country we use this opportunity well to get things right,” she said.
