By Collins Yakubu-Hammer

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaam Suleiman, among other stakeholders have called on parents to empower their children and promote gender equality in the country.

They made this call during a stage play entitled “People of the Sun”, performed by students of Beautiful Beginning Academy (BBA), Abuja.

The play, based on a true-life story, highlights the struggle for identity, power, and survival while addressing the pressing issue of gender inequality.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the performance serves as a compelling narrative of resilience, justice, and the urgent need to combat gender-based discrimination.

It presents men and women not just as equals but as essential forces shaping society and protecting the planet.

Speaking at the event, Suleiman underscored the need to empower children with awareness of gender inequality and other societal challenges.

“As a proud parent whose child played the role of the king in this production, I strongly believe that functional learning is the way forward for schools,” she said.

“Beautiful Beginning Academy has elevated education by equipping students with knowledge, skills, and a positive mindset that will prepare them for real-life situations.

“By nurturing these talents, we are shaping children who will contribute effectively to their communities and emerge as empowered adults in the future,” she said.

Suleiman, who was represented by the Federal Character Commissioner, Mr Ginika Tor, commended the school for using creative arts to drive home important messages on gender equality and social issues.

The Director-General (D-G) of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Ndace, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to amplifying children’s voices, recognising them as Nigeria’s bright future.

“Throughout this play, we have seen the themes of gender equality, culture, and valuable life lessons.

“This demonstrates that there is great promise in these young ones,” Ndace said.

VON D-G was represented by the organisation’s Deputy Director of Digital Media, Dr Qasim Akinreti.

BBA Managing Director, Dr Rosemary Nasa-Okolie, praised the students for their outstanding display of talent and skills beyond her expectations.

She urged the government, educational stakeholders, and parents to embrace functional learning to equip children with lifelong skills.

“Functional education is at the core of our teaching approach. We empower our children with knowledge, skills, and character,” she said.

“This stage play highlights gender equality and the importance of promoting all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address challenges like climate change.

“This is just the beginning for us, and I encourage parents to embrace 21st-century education,” she added.

NAN reports that awards of excellence were presented to Dr Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary, FCT Administration, Ms Grace Ike, Chairman, NUJ FCT Council, and the D-G VON.

In her appreciation speech, Ike, flanked by NUJ members, emphasised the importance of empowering girls as much as boys.

“This resonates deeply with my personal journey of becoming the first female NUJ FCT Council Chairman in over 40 years of the council’s existence,” she remarked.

Also in attendance, the Honorary Consul of Colombia to Nigeria, Mrs Maricel Romero, expressed admiration for the rich cultural showcase and the powerful messages embedded in the play.

She commended BBA for promoting gender equality while celebrating Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

The event showcased a vibrant display of cultural performances and a thought-provoking stage play highlighting gender equality and climate change.

Additionally, the ceremony honoured outstanding advocates for gender equality and sustainable development with well-deserved recognition and awards. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa

By Justina Auta

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Zone D (North Central), has lauded Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger State for his administration’s commitment to promote Affirmative Action and gender inclusion in the state.

Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche, NAWOJ Vice President, Zone D, lauded the governor for his commitment to implement an Executive Order that reserves all local government secretary positions for women, aiming to enhance women’s participation in governance.

Ogbeche also commended Bago for making it mandatory that all vice chairmen of Local Government Areas would be women in the upcoming local government council elections in the state.

She further applauded the governor for his pledge to surpass the 35 per cent Affirmative Action target.

Bago had set a new goal of achieving 50 per cent female representation in governance, particularly as the world celebrates International Women’s Day in 2025.

Encouraging other state governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration to follow suit, Ogbeche highlighted Bago’s leadership in advancing gender equity.

She expressed hope that Nigeria would soon reach a stage where the rights of women and girls would be universally recognised and treated as fundamental human rights. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Esenvosa Izah

The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) says empowering women in the informal sector is essential for promoting gender equality.

Ms Nkechi Abiola, the Union’s National Women Representative, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Abiola said the empowerment would also reduce poverty and foster sustainable development.

She spoke on the sidelines of an outreach by AUATON Women Wing to women in the market space and hospitals in Lagos.

She said the outreach was part of activities to celebrate 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD).

“Reaching out to women in the informal sector is another way to accelerate actions by AUATON Women Wing of Lagos State.

“Women, especially in the informal sector, often lack access to formal financial services, making it difficult for them to save, borrow and invest.

“Empowerment programmes like this can provide financial literacy and inclusion,” she said.

She added that women in the informal sector faced challenges in accessing markets, leveraging technology, and networking.

“Empowerment initiatives like this can offer resources to help them to scale up in their businesses,” she said.

The Vice- Chairperson of AUATON, Lagos Chapter, Ms Adedoyinsolami Ayodele, also told NAN that the union supported individuals, through the outreach, as a way of giving back to the society.

Ayodele said: “At this occasion, as part of celebrating the IWD, we visited the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, to support some women who were admitted at the hospital.

“Then, we moved to Oshodi Market and supported six women. Our message is: gender equality, no matter the situation.

“As female drivers, we are ready to support individuals to ease their struggles.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola/Bukola Adetoye

By Justina Auta

Mrs Edna Azura, National President, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), has called for intensified efforts toward achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls across the country.

Azura made the call at a symposium to commemorate the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) in Abuja.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8, and the 2025 celebration has the theme, “Accelerate Action”.

While urging stakeholders to dismantle systemic barriers preventing women’s advancement, Azura said that this year’s theme was a call for all stakeholders to redouble efforts in bridging gender gaps and ensuring equal opportunities for women in all spheres of life.

“Today, we acknowledge the progress recorded in gender equality, yet we must recognise the gaps that persist between policy commitments and actual implementation.

“Nigeria has adopted various legal frameworks, national policies, and international obligations, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights.

“However, challenges such as limited access to education, economic exclusion, the burden of caregiving, gender-based violence, and underrepresentation in leadership positions continue to hinder women’s empowerment,” she said.

The NCWS president, therefore, emphasised the need for a collaborative approach involving government, civil society, the private sector, and individuals to drive gender equality initiatives forward.

Speaking on the symposium’s sub-theme, “The Future is Now: Empowering Women and Youths to Thrive”, Azura stressed the importance of investing in education, skills development, and economic empowerment for women and youths.

She added that the council would provide financial support to selected women entrepreneurs to help scale up their small businesses.

Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche, National Vice-President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Zone D, said the association initiated the “Her Seat in Parliament” campaign to increase women’s political representation in leadership and governance positions.

“We are hoping that this time, with more sensitisation and awareness creation, the legislators will know that their people are more aware and will ask them when they come for re-election why they did not support the seat.

“So, we are campaigning to make people understand that women are not trying to take over from the men.

“We are just saying, give us a place on the table. Let’s have more seats so that we can influence policies that affect us and other vulnerable groups.

“Even the 74 seats we are asking for is not enough, but it is a good starting point and we are hoping that with the support and responses we have been getting, it will translate to action when the voting processes start, that this time, it will scale through,” she said.

She noted that the over 1,000 per cent increase in women’s budget would address challenges affecting women and children, adding that the CSW69 was an opportunity for Nigeria to tell its stories and strive toward impactful gains.

Dr Nafisa Shehu-Muhammed, President of the Road Safety Officers’ Wives Association (ROSOWA), reiterated their support toward women empowerment and collaboration for sustained advocacy in achieving gender equality.

The high point of the event was the empowerment of selected petty traders across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as part of activities to mark International Women’s Day 2025. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Justina Auta

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, has announced plans to revive the National Electronic Dashboard, aimed at providing comprehensive data to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

She made this known during a media briefing to launch the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration, themed “Accelerate Action,” on Thursday in Abuja.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted the challenges faced by women and girls, noting that, for the first time in the ministry’s 30-year history, the President significantly increased its budget.

“This reflects the government’s strong commitment to women’s empowerment.

“With these increased resources, we will prioritise the revitalisation of the Ministry’s legacy project, the National Electronic Dashboard, launched in collaboration with the European Union-United Nations (EU-UN) Spotlight Initiative in November 2020.

“The dashboard will provide essential data to help combat GBV and will support the work of the inter-ministerial technical committee on GBV,” she said.

The minister also shared plans to expand programmes focused on women’s economic empowerment, digital skills acquisition for girls, family cohesion initiatives, child protection, and participation.

Additionally, she emphasised unlocking new opportunities for women through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that the ministry would focus on legislative advocacy, empowering women economically, supporting girls’ education, and continuing the fight against GBV.

Regarding Nigeria’s progress in gender equality, she said, “While Nigeria has made significant strides with gender-responsive laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) and the Child Rights Act, full implementation remains a challenge.”

She further pointed out that 35 states had domesticated the VAPP Act, and 34 states had adopted the Child Rights Act, though full compliance and enforcement remained critical.

The minister also acknowledged that women were a driving force behind Nigeria’s informal economy, owning 41 per cent of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

However, she noted that challenges such as access to finance, markets, and digital literacy hindered the scaling of these businesses.

“To address this, 4.5 million women will be supported to bridge these gaps, with skills development for 500,000 women under the MOWA-SARA initiative, supported by WEMA Bank.”

On political representation, Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted the gender imbalance in the 10th National Assembly, where only four out of 109 Senators and 17 out of 360 House of Representatives members were women.

Fifteen states lacked female representation, which, according to her, was not reflective of a progressive democracy.

“We must accelerate efforts toward political inclusion, ensuring women have a seat at the table in governance and development,” she stressed.

The minister urged Nigerians to strengthen their commitment to overcoming the challenges that hinder Nigerian women and girls from reaching their full potential. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Abiemwense Moru