Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Deputy Speaker Rep., Benjamin Kalu, announced the partnership on Thursday in Abuja, highlighting its aim to support the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill and the Bill on Women’s Parliamentary Seats.

Abbas emphasized the importance of extending advocacy beyond the parliament to rural areas, helping constituents understand the benefits of greater female representation.

He called for capacity building and sensitization efforts to encourage women to support female candidates and contribute to national development.

UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, noted the current underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s National Assembly and federal cabinet.

She stressed the need for Nigeria to improve its standing in women’s representation in governance and reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to this cause.

“This is the challenge we must all work together to surmount.” Eyong said, expressing confidence in the partnership’s potential to foster significant change.

The report highlights the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, indicating a grim reality that underscores persistent global inequalities.

The UN report emphasized that the staggering number of femicides serves as a stark reminder of the profound societal challenges surrounding gender-based violence and inequality.

Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), issued a statement expressing concern and calling for urgent action.

Waly stated, “Each life lost is a call to action, a plea to urgently address structural inequalities, to improve criminal justice responses, so that no woman or girl fears for her life because of her gender.”

The report further revealed that over half of the reported murders, approximately 55%, were committed by family members or partners.

This statistic starkly contrasts with the roughly 12% of male victims of homicide who faced similar circumstances.

Geographically, the report identified Africa as the region with the highest number of murders of women and girls, totaling around 20,000, followed closely by Asia. The findings underscore the critical need for comprehensive efforts to address and eradicate the deeply rooted issues contributing to violence against women and girls globally.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, made the assertion at the formal launch in Abuja on Tuesday of the second phase of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC II), a programme supported by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).

He said there is the need for promotion of full participation of women in the economy as a strategy to substantially improve socio-economic indicators such as GDP growth, employment generation and poverty reduction.

Bagudu noted that enhanced performance of the criminal justice system and justice service delivery, and increased transparency and accountability of anti-corruption systems and reforms in Nigeria are required for equity and robust participation of economic agents in all sectors of thé economy.

He added, “Beyond gender parity, ensuring that women thrive in Nigeria society also involves protecting vulnerable women from Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and enforcing existing Child’s Rights Laws.”

Bagudu, represented by Director (International Cooperation), Federal Ministry Of Budget And Economic Planning, Dr. Lanre Adekanye, while recognizing the success of RoLAC I, said: “The Second Phase being flagged-off today, seeks to further improve the justice sector and anti-corruption systems by reinforcing the achievements made so far and promoting effective enforcement of legal and policy frameworks with a focus on the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the National Policy on Justice.

“The intervention aligns with the National Development Plan 2021-2025, the blueprint for Nigeria’s economic recovery, conceived to create strong and sustainable governance structures, and efficient institutions that promote citizens’ protection. In the same vein, RoLAC Phase II is expected to drive productivity for sustainable growth in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Current Administration.”

The training, aimed at enhancing maize production and reducing maize prices in the northern region of Nigeria, was conducted in Kaduna.

Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (FMFS), highlighted the primary objective of the training: to bolster maize production in both states and stabilize maize prices in northern Nigeria.

Represented by Mr. Bruce Asaleke, Director of Agric Extension in the ministry, Kyari emphasized that the program would educate smallholder farmers on year-round green maize farming.

The farmers will receive training in various aspects of the maize value chain and acquire new farming techniques to enhance their productivity.

This initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to job creation, scarcity reduction, and income growth among farmers, particularly women and youths.

The Minister emphasized that this effort would enhance farmers’ capabilities and increase maize production, contributing to the government’s mission to empower women and youths in the country.

Kyari also underscored the government’s determination to ensure food and nutrition security in Nigeria, highlighting maize farming as a lucrative venture that generates employment, promotes nutrition, and fosters socio-economic development.

The choice of Plateau and Kaduna States for this training was influenced by the availability of suitable land and favorable climatic conditions that favor maize cultivation in these regions.

Muhammad Rili, the General Manager of the Kaduna Agricultural Development Project (KADP), noted that the training would equip farmers with the skills needed to tap into the profitable maize value chain.

Rili emphasized that maize, in addition to being a staple food, serves as a vital raw material for industries.

Participants like Juliana Choji from Plateau and Fatima Usman from Kaduna expressed their gratitude for the timely training.

They pledged to apply the knowledge gained to achieve higher yields and increased returns on their maize investments, foreseeing a more rewarding future in maize production.

A statement released by her Media Special Adviser, Bisola Kukoyi, detailed that this five-day training, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was tailored specifically for women residing in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Represented by Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, the Senior Special Adviser on Policy, Strategy, and Logistics, the First Lady highlighted the global shift towards digital literacy.

She encouraged women to seize the opportunity presented by the training to enhance their knowledge and skills, emphasizing that Information Technology holds the potential to be a comprehensive platform for economic growth and empowerment.

Mrs. Tinubu reiterated her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of women across the country.

Dr. Aristotle Onyemaechi, Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy at NITDA, also addressed the gathering. He expressed NITDA’s dedication to bolstering the digital literacy capabilities of young individuals to catalyze Nigeria’s economic transformation.

Dr. Onyemaechi underlined the pivotal role women play in this transformation and expressed hope that the program’s beneficiaries would become advocates for the Renewed Hope Initiative and digital literacy throughout Nigeria.

Speaking at the Egba Dialect Debate and Choral Competition for Secondary Schools in Ogun Central District in Abeokuta on Thursday, Obasanjo expressed his concern over the exclusion of women from the nation’s highest office, despite their significant contributions to society.

The former Head of State emphasized the importance of fairness and equity in sharing power and key positions between genders.

Drawing an analogy, Obasanjo stated that just as a hand cannot carry a load to the head alone, it is crucial to give women a chance to lead.

He highlighted the fact that the only biological difference between men and women is the ability to bear children and stated that it should not prevent women from assuming the presidency.

Naimot Salako-Oyedele, the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, encouraged more women to engage in politics and assert their influence, given their numerical strength.

She emphasized the need for women to actively participate and fight for political power rather than expecting it to be handed to them.

In conclusion, Obasanjo and Salako-Oyedele echoed the importance of female leadership in Nigeria, calling for a more inclusive political landscape that recognizes the capabilities and potential of women.

The initiatives include the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort, the Hustle Academy for Women-Led SMEs, and a social media series celebrating inspiring women in Africa’s technology sector.

The initiatives, according to the company, are in honor of International Women’s Day.

Commenting on the initiatives, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa, Folarin Aiayegbusi, said, “We are thrilled to announce the selected startups for the inaugural class of our Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort.

In a Tuesday interview in Calabar with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Okwong provided the justification.

According to NAN, depression is a mood condition that results in a lingering feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It may be categorized as major depressive disorder or clinical depression.

According to the report, the national average of women’s political participation in Nigeria remain at 6.7 percent in elective and appointive positions, which it said, is far below the global average of 22.5 per cent, Africa regional average of 23.4 percent and West African Sub Regional Average of 15 percent.

Explaining why Nigeria ranked low, the report said, “The under representation of women in political participation gained root due to the patriarchal practice inherent in our society, much of which were obvious from pre-colonial era till date. Given the several talks, initiatives and policy directions of government, one would expect greater progress in Nigeria’s quest for increased women’s political participation.”

The report added that Nigeria ranked 181 of 193 countries on the Gender Equality Index, for countries with low women representation in governance.

It stated: “The country currently, ranks 181 of 193 countries on the Gender Equality Index for reasons such as poor resource allocation in the economic and social sectors, frequent conflicts, forced displacements and inadequate inclusion of women and girls’ perspectives in policy-making decisions.

“Other reasons include low representation of women in governance and politics; and inadequate legal framework and limited capacity to support women’s empowerment and equality efforts, (UN Women, 2020).

“Despite all efforts to promote the contribution of women in the domain of politics and decision making, women have continued to record low representation at all tiers and levels of governance although they constitute almost half of the electorate.

“Findings reveal that males constituted 94.2 per cent of the members of the National Assembly in the periods from 1999-2015 (on average) while female participation remained low at 5.8 percent (National Bureau of Statistics, 2019).”

Justice Donatus Okorowo, who delivered the judgement on Wednesday, said the Federal Government had the obligation to implement the 35 per cent affirmative action, accusing past governments of acting in breach of international treaties on women participation in government.

Justice Okorowo added that the National Gender Policy is not merely a policy statement, but one that must be backed with requisite action on the part of the government.

He said the 35% affirmative action which entails appointive positions for women to ensure inclusivity must not be merely on paper as Nigeria is signatory to international treaties, particularly on those entrenching the rights of women.