President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry of Women Affairs and traditional rulers across the country have united to launch the “P-BAT cares for Nigerian women” initiative.
The initiative aims to empower women across the country, provide support systems, foster inclusivity and bridge the gender gap.
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The event which took place in Abuja, officially unveiled a 4-way initiative by the president, called “P-BAT cares for women”, ahead of the 2024 International Women’s day themed “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”
The four-way initiative includes an E-market portal, National women’s helpline, Naija Save Nigeria lntergrity/ Transparency brigade and Nigeria Be Informed national broadcast channel.
The president, represented by George Akume, the secretary to the government of the federation, said that the initiative is critical, as it would help redefine the future of Nigerian women and Africa at large.
“Women are the epigram of wealth and power, they are the glue that holds our beloved country together, my administration is committed to Nigerian women and this is reflected in my qualities”.
“The Ministry of Women Affairs is working day and night, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that all your needs are met and exceeded. The minister has embarked on several notable projects.”
“I’m impressed as a government, it is our duty to prioritize issues around violence for mostly vulnerable citizens, our women and children so bad, we’ll put this behind us. I appreciate our royal fathers, who are here in large numbers. This is an institution that is about the work of our democracy, and the rule of law must persist.”
He said the government is working actively to ensure that programs designed for Nigerian women impact them, and the programs are not limited to women in Abuja, but all states across the country.
Speaking, Uju Kennedy Iheanya, the minister of women affairs said that the initiative is a step towards fighting for Nigerian women in a legal way.
The minister stated that the initiative, which is in line with the president’s agenda for women, has empowered over 15 states already, and more are in progress.
“The era of protesting is gone, the era of just training women and just advocating is gone, now we are giving them what to work with. We have provided machines for them”
She said sewing machines, grinding machines, garri makers and so many more have been given to women in Anambra, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Niger, Jigawa and more states in a bid to empower these women
“We’ve taught them to fish, now we are empowering them with the required machinery to fish, and then also helping them save the money from it, this is why bank MDs are here”
She mentioned that banks across Nigeria have also partnered with the ministry, providing women with POS machines, and teaching them to save and how to go about it.
Uju Kennedy stated that the initiative launched the integrity brigade, which is to ensure transparency. Also, women will be taught how to market their products on the e-market portal which was sponsored by UNICEF.
Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, while speaking, reiterated how important it is to educate the Nigerian woman.
“When you educate a woman, you educate a community. One educated woman is more important than 100 men roaming the streets, so we must educate the girl child”.
He said the initiative seeks to recognize a woman for who she is, what she should be, what she shouldn’t be and what she can be.
He praised the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for working towards empowering women rightly and called for a transparent government.
