Adewumi advocates women’s rights to own lands, other properties

By Abba – Eku Onyeka, Abuja

The continued denial of ownership of land and other properties to women by their men counterparts in some parts of Nigeria has been faulted in its entirety by women traders in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The woman Leader, Abuja Chapter, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs), Amb. (Mrs) Rachael Adewumi said they plan to organise a meeting with the governments at all levels — the traditional rulers, legislators and other stakeholders — to as a matter of equity and enhancement of economic development in the country, address the injustice.

The Woman Leader addressed journalists at the 5th Real Estate and Construction (RECON) Expo held recently in Abuja, the centre of Nigeria’s unity.

She said, “You know traditionally, it is like forbidden for a woman to even own land. Most of the lands are owned by men. So we plan to have a meeting with all the chiefs and other stakeholders from the area councils and local governments, and brainstorm, so as to allow the women to own land. They believe that women can’t own land and if you don’t have a land, you can’t build a house.

“But luckily for us here today, a lot of developers are here today and I have met one of them, who told me that, even petty traders, such as akara, kpof – kpof friers will build house. Having discussed with him, I will further discuss with our president on how my women will enter, because I want this tradition to change, so that each of my women will build a house.

“You know in FCT, NANTs is allocating shops to the women and some people complain that the amount is too much. So we are discussing on how to bring the price down for it to be cheaper and affordable, that is why we are here, to ensure that our women partake, so that our women shall not be sitting on the back seat, when you are talking about owning a house and property. That is why we are here.”

When reminded that most of her members are rich enough to build a house, the Woman Leader said: “You know that to build a house is not easy. How much is the capital of some of them? So we need a bank, like mortgage, that will assist us, so as to pay back like in 15 years time and they will cut it according to our sizes. That is what we are fighting for now. They will build it for us and we pay back in 15 years. So that kind of house will be affordable and very cheap; not a duplex or bungalow. Just two bedroom flat, which they will be able to afford will be okay.”

On if they had tabled their problems to the government, Amb Rachael Adewumi however said that their national president had brought in the Ministers of Women Affairs and that of Information to intimate them on the problem. She added that the way things were, their president would meet the appropriate authority to ensure that their problems are solved.

Believing that the traders are the heartbeat of the nation, she informed that the Minister in her speech said that about 70% of the traders were women.

“If they can invest in the women, the economy will turn around, because people will have more. Women are traders and they can turn N1 to N1 million,” she defended.

Advising the women, she said: “Don’t get tired in demanding for your right and contributing to the economy. I brought them here to know that it is possible for them to own a house. They have even seen the limelight that the possibility is there, provided that they follow the normal channel. And the reason we are here is to table our problems to the government and my assurance to them is that they can own a house without fear. I want them to know that what a man can do, the women can even do better.”

On the ongoing instruction of NANTs’ estates, she said that the allocations were being given to everybody, irrespective of sex, even as she added that NANTs made it in the way that people pay up in 15 years time. She said she brought them to the Expo, to know that they can own a house, instead of believing that it is only the men that can own a house.

Responding, the Honorable Minister, of Women Affairs, Dame Paulen Talen said that women traders outnumber their men counterparts. In the area of agitating against denial of land, house and other properties to the women by men, Dame Paulen Talen justified the demand, saying that the Federal Government (FG) insists that women and men have equal treatment.

She added that provided  women are qualified, they won’t be denied land. She disclosed their plans to empower single mothers, widows and encourage girl child education, among others.

Earlier in her speech, the Minister urged encouragement of the women in the real estate and construction industry. Informing that her ministry is always there to address their problems and that of the girl child, she said that they were out for partnership with them. She disclosed that they were using a database of all women in different professions, to help them forge ahead in their chosen field of endeavours and confirm them for appointment within and outside the country, when the need arises.

Urging the organisers to be very gender sensitive in constructing cheap and affordable houses for the interest of the women, including widows and single others, Dame Paulen Talen said that if they could do that, she was confident that most societal problems in the country would be solved. She noted that no development was meaningful without putting into cognisance, the needs of the women.

In order to ensure that the women are not denied ownership of land and housing, the Chairman, Organising Committee of the Expo, Dr Johnson Somadina Anene disclosed that they were advocating social housing for the women. To this, he added that they were arranging with the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Association of Housing Corporation of Nigeria (AHCN), Federal Mortgage Bank, among others to ensure that houses are produced cheaply and affordably for the women, single ladies and the vulnerable in the society.

Among his requests from the government was to be allocating land cheaply and directly to the developers, to reduce cost, instead of giving them to speculators who in turn would sell to developers at a high cost.

The National President of NANTs, Ken Ukaoha Esq spoke at length on the need to recognize the women, saying that they contribute immensely to the economy. He equally believed that proper empowerment of the women address the economy.