MRS. ABIODUN HARPS ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Wife of Ogun State

Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has emphasised the need to boost the economic capacity of women, identifying it as one of the essential components which will enhance sustainable economic growth in the country.

Mrs. Abiodun said this during a workshop organised by the Office of the National Women Representative, with the theme; ‘Building A New Normal: A Redress to the Challenges on Gender-based Social Vices Among Women in Nigeria’, at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The Governor’s wife, represented by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Funmi Efuwape, said various women development programmes in the past were centered around giving of handouts, without providing the enabling environment to overcome poverty, which had kept them coming back for help year after year.

Mrs. Abiodun suggested an all-inclusive approach for women empowerment nationwide in the area of, access to training and resources beyond money, creating links to local and international markets and helping them to understand the meaning of sustainability.

  She added that rural women should not be walled off but rather to expose them to modern technology by training them in a language they understand, to help enhance their work and make them more productive.

“Just last week, the Ogun State Government launched a project called

adireogun.com This highly innovative programme is an online marketplace, where buyers around the world can access authentic adire products locally produced in Ogun State. You can imagine the unlimited potential of this kind of programme. This is what is called market access, not only do you produce what is needed in the local community or your State, now you can have customers as far away as China”, she said.

Earlier in her remarks, the Convener and Women Representative, All Progressive Congress National Caretaker Committee, Hon. Stella Okotete appealed to government at all levels, to take cognizance of the enormous contributions of women in nation-building seriously, by giving them opportunities to thrive and compete in their chosen fields of endeavour.

The workshop had in attendance women leaders from the 36 States of the federation and Federal Capital Territory.