Kano to provide access for women empowerment    

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has stressed the commitment of his administration towards advancing women’s access to education and health, the right to be free from violence, and the opportunity to participate fully in the economic and political affairs.

This, Ganduje maintained, prompted the government to initiate the state Action Plan on Women, aimed at protecting them from exploitation, enhancing their economic strength and ensuring inclusiveness in governance.

“Besides encouraging them to participate in politics and governance issues, the administration is investing in the development of skills, talents and entrepreneurship of women so as to address unemployment,” the governor stated.

“Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of their perspective at all levels of decision making and economic affairs, the goals for fairness, progress, and peace cannot be achieved.” He disclosed

Governor Ganduje made the assertion in an address during a function organized by women in the state to appreciate his administration for recognizing their worth in governance, held at Coronation Hall, Kano Government House.

The governor stated women have potentials and rights to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country therefore; the state government is working towards increased women participation in governance and access to education, among other things.

“There is nothing wrong for a woman to be a plumber, electrician, an architect or a builder. So, we identified these gaps in terms of manpower development in the state and we said, let us put women to fill these and other manpower gaps. This is the most sustainable way of developing our women,” the governor pointed out.

Ganduje stated that for the first time in the history of the state, a female Accountant-general was recently appointed, while the state has two serving female commissioners, permanent secretaries, heads of agencies and other political appointees, in recognition of their role towards moving the state forward.

He stated that many women and child friendly policies and programmes have been initiated by his government like the special maternal care programme and the special training of traditional birth attendants, assuring that enabling environment would be created for more women to participate in all public affairs, in view of their roles as mothers and professionals.

The governor thanked the women in Kano for supporting his administration’s policies and programmes, recalling with appreciation that during the 2015 gubernatorial election, they cast more votes in his favour than men.

In her speech, the state Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, ‘Yardada Maikano Bichi said the occasion was organised to express their solidarity to the Ganduje administration, in view of its commitment to involving women in governance.

A medical practitioner who spoke during the event, Hadiza Galadanchi tasked women to embrace education so as to become more active players in the scheme of things in the country and praised governor Ganduje for giving opportunity to women to prove their worth.

The Female Bankers Community in the state, represented by Central Bank Of Nigeria Controller in Kano, Amina Pindar Abubakar appreciated the state governor’s decision to appoint their member an Accountant-general of the state, saying that the bankers would ensure that women benefited from all empowerment programs been conducted by the state government in collaboration with financial institutions.

In her vote of thanks, the state Accountant-general, Aisha Muhammad Bello said to demonstrate his concern for women, the governor directed that out of the N2billion soft loan to be disbursed in the state, women should take 60 percent, adding that he also increased the budget of Ministry of Women affairs and Social development, to improve the lives of women and their children.