By Gloria Akudoro, Abuja
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen has urged all Governors and stakeholders to do everything possible to make-up for the period the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) suffered set-back.
Tallen made this appeal with a sense of urgency during the Federal Steering Committee meeting on the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) held at the Ministry’s Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.
The Minister who also doubles as the Chairperson of the Steering Committee of NFWP 2022 appealed to World Bank to support the project by disbursing funds in order to actualize its objectives.
The Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) is a project that caters for the economic empowerment of those at the rural area as well as poor women in various communities.
She said, “All the stakeholders, Governors of the six pilot States of Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, Taraba, Abia and Akwa-Ibom, the Honourable Commissioners and Chairmen of the Local Governments of the participanting states to do everything possible to make up for the times lost when the project suffered some setbacks, so as to realize the objectives of the project for the remaining time scheduled for the project. So, that we can put smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries.
“I specially urge the World Bank to get ready to flag off the disbursement of the funds to motivate and empower the rural women as all that are needed to be done have been made ready by the Federal Technical Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, who has provided an overview of the project as well as the achievements and plans already put in place to ensure the realization of the objectives of the project.”
Tallen in a release by the Ministry’s Media head, Olujimi Oyetomi further assured Governors of the pilot States of the project that the Ministry is ready to do all within her powers to cooperate and get the World Bank to disburse the funds to the women beneficiaries.
She described the NFWP as one project that is dear to the heart of the nation and to herself, expressing appreciation to the Country Rep of the World for initiating the project. She also described the role of the Local Government Chairmen as being critical to the success being targeted for the NFWP.
The Minister stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration is committed to achieving success with the NFWP even within the short period left for the administration and therefore enjoined the Chairmen of the Local Governments and the Honourable Commissioners to step-up tackling the challenges confronting the desired objectives of the project.
She added that the administration cannot afford to have any further set-back for the project again. And urged the stakeholders expose the challenges they encounter, so as to advocate for their Governors intervention help remove the obstacles delaying the project from being actualized.
Giving the overview presentation, the Chairman of the Federal Technical Committee, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, said the project has commenced since May 2018 is expected to be completed in 2023 using the multi-dimensional approach to overcome the main institutional and market failure limiting women’s economic outcomes in Nigeria.
He stressed that the components of the project includes building social capital providing support to women affinity groups; livelihood programme which supports individual and collective livelihoods; innovations and partnerships through project management, monitoring and evaluation.
The overview by the Permanent Secretary also listed the local governments that are involved to include Maiyama, Argundu and Ngaski in Kebbi State; Agaie, Gurara and Wushishi in Niger State, Bali, Zing and Takum in Taraba State, Obingwa, Ohafia and Isialangwa North in Abia State.
Others are Onna, Oruk Anam and Ibesikpo Asutan in Akwa-Ibom which just joined to replace Edo State that pulled out of the project; while Ogun State has Odeda. Yewa North and Ijebu North East.
“For the five beneficiaries in the phase one of the NFWP, N884.5 million is to be disbursed to 15,118 women with an average, each will get N58,500. This will be ready for disbursement in 2022.
“For the Women Affinity Groups to be ready for this World Bank Credit, they have all have pulled funds of over N1.31 billion (including savings and social funds, disbursed loan of over N650 million and contributed social funds of over N172 million,” he said.
He however, mentioned that the challenges put forward to be addressed have to do with executive enablement by the Governors of the implementing States.