The Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, has tasked the government with the responsibility of empowering women in the state, stating that women are drivers of change wherever they are.
News About Nigeria gathered that the commissioner made this call at the 9th Policy Dialogue Series on Entrepreneurship, organised by the FATE Foundation in Lagos, with the theme “Enabling Nano & Micro Women-led Businesses Thrives in Africa”.
She noted that prioritizing financial inclusion and supportive networks would promote the success of women-led businesses.
She further disclosed that women, being nurturers by default, would always reinvest in various sectors in the country when successful in their businesses, especially the education and healthcare sectors.
Adijat Adeleye, therefore, urged government to spearhead the economic empowerment of women, as this, according to her, will lay the foundation for an inclusive and prosperous future.
Sha also applauded the Ogun State-led “Oko’wo Dapo” programme, which she said had empowered women and youth in SMEs with grants ranging from N320,000 to N400,000, maintaining that African women entrepreneurs in nano and micro enterprises remained crucial for financial growth.
Recall that the renowned human rights organization under the aegis of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) had raised concern over the decline in the number of women represented in the Ogun cabinet, noting that it was a case of underrepresentation.
The Founding Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, had urged the National Assembly to pass the gender bills into law.
According to her, these bills will help to secure a minimum of 35 per cent affirmative action for women in both elective and appointed positions.
