By Joan Nwagwu

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Federal Government have developed a roadmap to promote women’s entrepreneurship development and formalisation in the country.

Ms Vanessa Phala, ILO’s Country Director to Nigeria, disclosed this at a Validation Workshop on Thursday in Abuja.

The workshop was themed, “A roadmap to foster national conditions for women’s entrepreneurship development and formalisation in Nigeria.”

Phala said that entrepreneurship remained a major driver for economic dynamics.

She said that beyond job creation, entrepreneurs had entered the market with new technologies.

According to her, many Nigerians agree that women and men entrepreneurs encounter similar challenges in their economic activities.

“However, women are faced with an additional set of gender-based barriers that limit their access to resources and opportunities.

“Women’s businesses tend to be smaller and highly concentrated in the informal economy.”

Phala noted that recent survey by Price Water Coopers (PWC) indicated that 41 per cent of micro businesses in Nigeria were owned by women.

Phala added that such a number should not be neglected in socio-economic discourses as they were major drivers.

She however, said that women entrepreneurs had consistently demonstrated resilience and determination to succeed.

Phala said that the constraints came with vast opportunities as the government and other actors had continued to evolve interventions/programmes to support and empower women entrepreneurs.

She said that the ILO was working with the government at all levels to promoted small enterprise development in Nigeria.

“The project has supported the government of Nigeria, through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Social Partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

“To develop a comprehensive, evidence-based and action-oriented three year roadmap as well as its monitoring framework to drive women’s entrepreneurship development and enterprise formalisation in Nigeria.

“This roadmap addresses existing constraints and tackles new and emerging obstacles that women entrepreneurs may face in an ever-changing economic landscape, among others,” she said.

Also, Mrs Juliana Adebambo, acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment noted that a large number of women in the developing world operated in the informal economy.

Adebambo, represented by Mr Dennis Ejeh from the ministry, said that in Nigeria, the proportion of women involved in entrepreneurship exceeded that of men.

She said the National Gender Policy 2021, showed that women entrepreneurs could play critical roles in enhancing a country’s productivity and development.

“There are lots of interventions, female-focused policies, programmes and initiatives instituted by the government, social partners and private organisations to support women entrepreneurship development.

“However, the effectiveness of these supports on informal businesses is very minimal which is a challenge as most women owned businesses in Nigeria are informal.

“We are happy that the ILO in collaboration with SMEDAN has come up with this noble project,” she said.

She said the ministry would continue to contribute its quota in ensuring Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Enterprise Formalization in Nigeria.

Also, Mr Olawale Fasanya, Director General, SMEDAN, noted that women entrepreneurs often faced a lot of challenges.

Fasanya said the strategic document (roadmap) developed by ILO, SMEDAN and other stakeholders would ensure that entrepreneurs women were properly positioned.

“That is to take advantage of the huge opportunity that exists in the global market place in terms of accessing funding, capitals for their businesses, among others,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

By Martha Agas

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has begun distribution of inputs to farmer cooperative societies to accelerate potato production in four local government areas of Plateau.

The benefiting farmer groups drawn from Bokkos, Mangu, Jos South and Barkin-Ladi LGAs each received 12 litres of liquid fertilisers and two knap sack sprayers, respectively.

The NEPC distributed the items to the farmers, on Thursday in Jos, during the third quarter meeting of the State Committee on Export Promotion in Plateau (SCEP).

Speaking while presenting the items to the beneficiaries, the state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Musa Haruna said the gesture was to boost production.

He urged them to ensure effective utilisation of the items as they were expected to play critical roles in upscaling potato production in their respective communities.

The commissioner said the Plateau government under the stewardship of Governor Caleb Mutfwang was committed towards repositioning the agricultural sector to boost its revenue base.

He said the state government had procured more than 200 trucks of fertilisers for distribution to the farmers across the 17 LGAs to facilitate dry season farming.

Haruna reiterated the government commitment to create conducive environment for its economy to thrive and discourage the over dependency of white collar jobs among the youths.

In his remarks, NEPC’s Regional Coordinator, North Central Zone, Mr Samson Idowu said that the gesture was part of measures to help potato farmers navigate the challenges affecting the sector.

Idowu noted that potatoe farmers were being confronted with challenges of accessing seedlings, farm machineries, chemicals for disease control, in addition to high inflation rate.

He said that NEPC would provide more interventions as it gets more funding, to enable Plateau boost potatoe production as its One State One Product (OSOP) for export to promote the non oil sector.

“And as we have more funding opportunities, there are still other areas that we want to intervene such as in seedlings, farm machinery,” he said.

He said the SCEP quarterly meeting was organised for key stakeholders of OSOP campaign, to discuss on how to harness the comparative advantage of of potatoe and products of horticulture.

According to him, there are nine LGAs producing potatoe and has the potentials of cultivating the produce all the year round in the state.

Also speaking, the Acting Chairman, Potato Producers in the state, Mr Isaac Bawah said that potato has high yield potential of about 60 tonnes per hectre, lamenting that farmers were recording between six to seven tonnes per hectre due to difficulties in production.

Bawah said that they need inputs such as fungicides to address diseases associated with potato and also urged government to facilitate mechanised farming to boost their production.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Sarah Kwarpo from Jos South lauded the NEPC for the intervention and assured them that they would put it to good use. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

By Aderogba George

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has advised parents to live up to their responsibilities of raising their children well for the good of the society.

The minister made the call in Abuja on Thursday at the inauguration of a document titled: “Parenting for Peace (P4P): Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) Training of Trainers’ (ToT) guide.”

The event is organised by Mercy Corps, a frontline international organisation in over 40 countries, under the project Community Initiative to Promote Peace.

The event is supported by the United States Agency for International Development.

She said that it was the duty of parents to mould the children from the age of six months to ensure they grow to be responsible citizens.

According to him, good parenting will help to reduce insecurity in the society.

Kennedy-Ohanenye pointed out that 80 per cent of children presently having problems are due to lack of good trainings from their parents.

“Do well in training your child in the right way, pampering a child shows you are advocating for him or her to do some certain things, you have to be in control of your child.

“I usually carry out drug test on my children when they were growing, parents should be ashamed of themselves when a child is going the wrong way,” she said.

The minister also advised that parents should be cautious on the kind of behaviour they display before their children, saying, ”children learn very fast from the behaviours of their parents”.

She said that the way a woman lives with her husband at home would determine how the children would grow to live.

Mr David Gatare, Chief of Party, CIPP, said that Mercy Corps was proud to be working in protracted crisis areas to cushion conflict and economic shocks while providing humanitarian assistance as well as build resilient communities.

Garare said that in the past five years, over three million people had been impacted through the organisation’s peace building, governance and conflict resolution initiatives, education, financial inclusion and environmental sustainability.

He said that the organisation was driven by the vision of a Nigeria where all citizens, including young women and men are empowered, engaged, resilient and productive.

“At Mercy Corps, our work is on gender, peace and security; it focuses on addressing and mitigating gender dynamics that perpetuated and exacerbate conflict while including diverse group and members of the society.

“We constructively engage government, CSOs, private sector and community institutions, especially religious and traditional leaders as well as work side by side with grassroot women, men, and youth to promote a safe diverse, inclusive and peaceful communities,” he said.

Mrs Blessing Amadi, the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, also said that parents should create time for discussions with their children.

According to her, having time with the children, listening and giving them advice form part of good parenting, which parents should imbibe.

She called on parents to apply disciplinary measures in their homes to teach the children how to be responsible and to know the consequences of all actions whether good or bad.

Amadi said that as parents, there is the need to educate the children by getting involved in their assignments and guiding them to know the rudiments of education.

She also said that parents should be concerned with the security of their children at home and in school as well as teach them the dangers of random movements without authorisation.

”The children should also be guided on the responsible use of technology devices,” she added.

Also, Mr Idris Mohammed, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs appreciated all stakeholders for their opinion on gender issues and for creating time to attend the event.

Mohammed said that the presence of the stakeholders had further confirmed their relentless commitment to ensuring the general wellbeing and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria as a country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Bassey/Julius Toba-Jegede

By Diana Omueza

The Global Awareness for Public Safety (GAPS) Foundation has called for the establishment of safety departments in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to safeguard against unforseen disasters.

Dr Chuks Alozie, the Director-General of the group, made the call in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

He also called on the National Assembly to strengthen and expand the scope of its oversight functions to cover issues of safety in MDAs.

“The measures have become necessary following the recent fire outbrake that destroyed the offices of three Justices at the Supreme court complex in Abuja,” he said.

“Government needs to create safety departments across various MDAs, especially where such units or departments doesn’t exist for safety of the staff and public property, ” he added.

“These departments should comprise of personnel from related professional bodies with cognate knowledge on safety measures application.”

He called on the National Assembly to as a matter of urgency, enact laws strengthening the operations of safety measures that would help to save lives, secure properties in the MDAs.

“This will help in ascertaining the safety and level of preparedness against dangers as well as prevent instances of disasters that could claim lives and properties,” he said.

Alozie attributed the rampant instances of fire outbrakes to lack of safety measures, awareness and guidelines in most public institutions, adding it could have adverse effects in cases of emergencies.

He reiterated the group’s commitments to partner with the government to embark on safety awareness campaigns on the imperative of adoption and restoring safety measures in public institutions across the country. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng).

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Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Idris Abdulrahman

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Delta Government says it has recorded over 60 incidents and five fatalities caused by rabies disease due to dog bites in three months in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Perez Omoun, said this on Thursday in Asaba at the inauguration of sensitisation and  campaign against rabies disease in Delta.

The State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Federal Government and World Health Organisation (WHO) embarked on a road walk against rabies disease in Asaba.

The road walk is to sensitise the public in commemoration of 17th World Rabies Day, in Asaba.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and his counterparts in Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme and that of Environment, Mr Jamani Ejiro, led the sensitisation and awareness campaign.

Omoun said the theme “All for 1, One Health for All” defined the need for the collaboration between the ministries, the Federal Government and WHO

He explained that the need was to combat the disease and ensured one health for all in the state and nationwide.

He said that given the rising cases of rabies incidents, state government would soon promulgate law to regulate ownership of dogs and cats in the state.

According to him, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori has made it imperative to sustain the annual free vaccination programme for prevention of rabies in dogs with the provision of funds.

“Sadly, the state has recorded rabies outbreak in Okpanam and Effurun. Five persons have been reportedly died of rabies between June and September this year.

“The fatality would have been more but for the swift and timely intervention of the State Veterinary Services Department, Ministry of Agriculture and the one health team of Delta state.

“It is pertinent to note that there are increased cases of dog bites in the state and in order to address dog ownership among others, the state government will soon come up with the dog and cat control law,’’

Also the Commissioner for Health, Onojaeme, who also lamented the situation, said modalities had been out in place to sensitise the general public across the state.

According to him, the reason for this walk for life is to encourage the people to come out and to know about the rabies that is killing them is very fertile.

“In recent times five people have been reported dead but it is good for the people to know that it is curable if you report to the hospital on time.

“In the last two months, we had reported cases of dog bites in the state, the victims were managed but for those that came late,” Onojaeme said.

On her part, Dr Mildred Okowa, State Epidemiologist, said that the day was usually celebrated to ensure that the people were kept safe from dog bites and rabies diseases.

“Rabies is a zonotic disease, which can be transmitted from animals such as dogs, cats, bats among others to humans when bitten.

“The dogs get the rabies viruses when bitten by infested bat, fox and other animals in the wild during hunting, as you know in Nigeria, we use dogs for hunting animals in the wild.

“So, when an infested dog bites you, even if it is just a scratch, you know will surely comedown with the rabies disease and its incubation period ranges from three weeks to three months or up to a year depending on what part of the body the dog bites the victim.

“So, when you are bitten by a dog, it is very important you report immediately to the nearest health facility to get first exposure prophylaxes (treatment).

“This prophylaxes (treatment) is a series of vaccines to prevent you from coming down with rabies following a dog bite.

“This is because rabies is 100 per cent fertile and that means that once the doctor identifies that you have rabies, it may be fatal,” she said.

Okowa urged all dog owners to ensure that their dogs were vaccinated annually, adding that the sensitisation was aimed at averting further deaths due to rabies in the state.

She lauded the WHO for efforts, technical and financial assistance in the control of rabies and other emerging and pandemics the state.

Earlier, the State Chief Veterinary Consultant and Director of Veterinary Services, State Ministry, Dr Augustine Ojogbo, said that the state vaccinated no fewer than 6,000 dogs as as of December 2022.

He said that the 17th Work Rabies Day celebration and the inauguration ceremony of the 2023 rabies campaign in the state had a unique theme which emphasized one health for everyone.

According to Ojogbo, the day is basically marked to sensitise, create awareness and educate the public on the dangers, prevention and control.

The day according to her, also marked progress made in the fight against the rabies for possible global eradication in human and animals in 2030.

He said that the state veterinary was ready to contain the disease, while encouraging people to avail themselves of the expert services available at various centres across the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and that of Agriculture and the WHO were present to give their support at eradicating rabies to ensure health for all. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng).

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Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Isaac Aregbesola

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Police Officers Wife Association (POWA) in collaboration with the UNESCO Read and Earn Federation (UNESCO-REF) and the House Committee on Diaspora has pledged to strengthen the agricultural value chain in the country.

The President of POWA, Mrs Elizabeth Egbetokun, said in Abuja on Thursday that she was mobilising 100,000 women to boost the agricultural workforce to mitigate risks occasioned by food shortage.

She was speaking when the President of UNESCO-REF, Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Tanko Adamu, paid her a courtesy visit.

“As the Wife of the Nigeria Inspector-General of Police, I am committed to enhancing security through non-kinetic approaches and addressing food scarcity that directly contributes to the United Nations’ Goal 2- Zero Hunger.

“In my capacity as the National Advocate of the Young Women in Agriculture (YWA), I am actively seeking collaborative partnerships to advance President Bola Tinubu’s vision for food security, which he has declared as a state of emergency,” she said.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Tanko Adamu, said that the collaboration was in pursuit of UNESCO objectives on food programmes.

Adamu said a number of Nigerians in diaspora would be willing to champion the objectives of the YWA programme as a way of giving back to their home country.

He, therefore, expressed the willingness of the committee to join the vanguard in mobilising Nigerians in diaspora to key into the programmes for the betterment of the country.

“We have sat down to look at our mandate as a committee which is primarily to identify and harness potentials of Nigerians in diaspora for the benefit and development of their home country.

“So we want to see how we can align ourselves with POWA and UNESCO-REF in the attainment of the UNESCO goals.

“As a committee, we want to see how we can come in to mobilise Nigerians in diaspora to bring their contribution to the development of agriculture in this country in other to attain food security.

“This is in line with the vision of President Bola Tinubu to attain food security and combat insecurity using non-kinetic approach.

“If you look at the challenge faced by the country today, we have challenge of food security and insecurity as well so if we have a robust investment in agriculture that will go a long way in ameliorating these challenges.

“So we want to tell influential Nigerians across the world to come and use the instrumentality of their personality and offices to support the structured institutions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ladigbolu said the collaboration would serve as a spontaneous approach for Nigerians in diaspora to invest in their native home. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)