NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Gender

African women land professionals kick against gender disparity in land ownership, management

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By Polycarp Auta 

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, African women in land professions have called for policies that would boost women’s access to land and remove gender disparity.

They also called for the involvement of more women in land management across the African continent.

The women’s demands are part of the resolutions of the First African Women Land Professionals Associations (AWLPA) Conference held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Conference was convened by the International Federation of Surveyors-African Regional Network (FIG-ARN).

The communique made available to NAN, was signed by Ambassador Mohammed Kabir, the Chairperson of FIG-ARN, and Mr Izuegbu Uju, Conference Secretary.

The conference called for more land rights programmes to promote public awareness, eliminate gender disparity, and increase the number and visibility of women in land management in Africa.

It encouraged all stakeholders to sustain the push for policy, legal and institutional reforms to increase women leadership positions in land governance.

It also advocated the adoption of a whole-of-the community approach in addressing the challenges faced by women in African societies.

The conference, which witnessed a series of presentations, deliberations, panel and brainstorming sessions, advocated the development of a Strategic Capacity Development Framework (SCDF) for African women land professionals.

“The framework shall focus on e-learning, training, coaching, mentoring, digital skill acquisition and support programmes to empower women in land professions in Africa,” the communique said.

It urged FIG-ARN to collaborate with relevant stakeholders such as UN Women and the African Union Land Governance Strategy, on advocacy and implementation of frameworks for gender equality in land governance.

It suggested the introduction of gender quota to address disparities in land allocation in African communities.

The conference emphasised that the FIG-ARN should seek support of the African Union(AU), and other relevant stakeholders to develop an African cross-border knowledge transfer platform and other programmes for the empowerment of women land professionals.

It also emphasised the need for the promotion and integration of women education and industry in Africa.

The conference participants urged Universities and institutions of higher learning in Africa to improve their curricula and provide practical support toward promoting and integrating the womenfolk.

They urged FIG-ARN to develop and support actionable strategies within the framework of the African Union Land Governance Strategy, with focus on women land rights clinic days.

Some of the participants at the First African Women Land Professionals Associations Conference held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

FIG-ARN was also urged to champion community-level awareness campaigns for guaranteeing equal rights to land, protecting women’s land tenure security, and respecting women’s independent decisions on land matters in Africa.

The conference pressed for coordinated international and regional support to African countries to adopt and implement a fit-for-purpose approach to land administration.

Such approach, it said, should ensure affordable land recordation and facilitate registration of continuum of land rights, particularly on issues that are of critical concern to women.

It urged donor agencies to increase funding in support of women’s land rights programmes for promoting public awareness and eliminating gender disparity while increasing the number and visibility of women in land management.

It encouraged stakeholders to sustain the push for institutional reforms to have more women in the making of government decisions that affect land governance.

It also advocated a more positive approach to the challenges faced by women in African societies.

The conference called on African women land professional associations to foster closer collaboration with international, regional, and community women’s rights groups.

It identified the groups to include UN Women, Landesa, Stand for Her Land Campaign, and International Land Coalition.

“The partnership should focus on benchmarking, capacity building, and implementation of gender-specific projects,” the communique added.

It noted the resolve of the Tanzanian government toward implementing positive policies for gender balance and equal representation in both elective and appointive offices, and particularly appreciated the attempts at extending those policies into the land governance sector.

NAN reports that the conference formed the Network of African Women Land Professional Associations (NAWLPA), under the auspices of the FIG-ARN, to manage and coordinate the implementation of the resolutions.

The election of its leadership is to be held at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the 2nd AWLPA Conference slated to hold from 10 to14 November, 2025.

Among delegates at the Conference were the President of FIG, Dr. D. A. Dumashie, and the representative of AU Commission, Dr Janet Edeme.

Also at the Conference was Mr Hans Ni, Secretary-General of the Working Committee on International Exchange and Cooperation of China Association for Geospatial Industry and Sciences. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

General News

Gender-equality: NGX, Musawa advocate public-private collaboration

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By Taiye Olayemi
Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, has emphasised the crucial role of public-private partnerships in driving meaningful change for promoting gender parity.

Musawa, during the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration organised by the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) in Lagos, said it had become important to tackle most of the challenges confronting women and girls, which limits their potential.

The theme of the programme is “Accelerate Action for All Women: Rights, Equality, Empowerment.”

According to the minister, collaboration is important considering the report by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) which revealed that women-owned businesses contribute $15 billion to Nigeria’s economy.

She said that women struggle to access capital for their business.

“Building a gender-equal future requires collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“We must go beyond conversations and take decisive and meaningful actions to bridge the gender gap in society.

“We must increase gender-lens, invest and create funding opportunities, specifically tailored for women entrepreneurs.

“We must also focus on building a sustainable future, where women are empowered to lead, innovate, and thrive,” she said.

Musawa commended the NGX for their remarkable effort in leveraging capital markets to channel resources into women-led businesses and gender-focused initiatives.

Also, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman, NGX Group, said achieving gender equality demands deliberate and bold actions by the private sector, government, regulators, and the society at large.

Kwairanga noted that it was equally important for everyone to work together to ensure women gain easy access to capital, bearing in mind that an inclusive economy is a thriving one.

He said the NGX is determined to increase women participation in the Nigerian capital market through targeted investment in education programmes and the creation of mechanisms to track gender impact through aggregated data collection and analysis.

“At NGX Group, we live by example. Achieving gender equality demands deliberate and bold actions by the regulators, government, private sector, and society.

“When we accelerate progress for women, we accelerate progress for all. An inclusive economy is a thriving economy, and empowering women is a catalyst for the society,” he said.

Mr Temi Popoola, Group Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, appreciated all women rendering huge support to their gender within the NGX.

He saluted remarkable achievements by women generally and encouraged them to continue to support one another as a lot more could be achieved by the women folk.

Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director, Central Securities Clearing Systems (CSCS), called for male-female collaboration to build a harmonious and equitable society.

Speaking on how he was raised by values garnered from women, Dr Emomotimi Agama, Director-General, Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) urged men to respect, honour and take absolute care of the women folk.

Agama acknowledged women’s resilience, hardworking, and resourceful nature.

Also, Ms Chalya Shagaya, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Entrepreneurial Development, called for further collaboration between the NGX and government to expand investment for women.

Franca Chukwugor, Executive Commissioner, Legal and Enforcement Security and Exchange Commission, challenged women to equip themselves with the needed information to prosper.

Chukwugor advised women against engaging in ilegal investments but thirst after authentic financial knowledge.

Serah Ockman, Manager, Pre-Investment and Advisory Services, International Finance Corporation (IFC) advised women to prioritise investment.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunshola urged women to shun all form of social barriers they have been confronted with in order to further make remarkable impact in the society.

Ogunshola called for public-private partnerships channelled at creating an economic environment where women can access capital, grants needed, wealth creation.

Hilda Baci, Chief Executive Officer of Food by Hilda, admonished women not to desist from learning and teaching one another until the nation achieves an equitable society. (NAN) (nannews.ng)
Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

Agriculture

Stakeholders seek review of gender policies on agricultural export

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By Felicia Imohimi

The Farmers Aggregators Initiative of Nigeria (FAIN), an NGO, and other stakeholders have called for a comprehensive review of existing gender policies and laws on agricultural export.

They made the call at a summit on Mainstreaming Gender in Agriculture organised by FAIN  in Abuja.

The theme of the summit is “Mainstreaming Gender into the Agricultural Sector for Women and Youth Empowerment: Developing a Roadmap for Understanding Gender Policy and Export Trade in Line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).’’

Mr Cornelius Agenyi, Chief Executive Officer, FAIN, said the summit was aimed at enhancing gender mainstreaming within agriculture by promoting the active participation of women and youths, addressing vital sectoral issues and contributing to the fight against food insecurity.

Agenyi called for the collaboration of government, international organisations and private sector to ensure that gender-sensitive policies were not just in place but effectively implemented.

He specifically urged them to prioritise land rights, access to finance and equal representation in leadership roles.

According to him, the summit will also provide a platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing experiences and discussing best practices.

He said that FAIN was committed to empowering women and youth through modern agricultural practices that fostered sustainable livelihoods, thereby aligning with SDGs 1, 2 and 5.

Agenyi said that the initiative collaborated with more than 41 MDAs and government agencies and was endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as well as the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

“Mainstreaming gender was more than just a policy, but a mindset, an approach that seeks to remove barriers and create an environment where both women and men could contribute equitably to agricultural development.

“Incorporating gender perspectives in agricultural business is not only a matter of justice; it is a strategic economic move.

“Studies have shown that when women have equal access to resources; they invest their earnings in their families, communities and economy, fostering greater growth and development.

“By empowering women in agriculture, we unlock untapped potential that drives productivity, innovation and sustainable development,” he said.

Col. Abdulmumini Aminu(retired), Chairman, Board of Trustees, FAIN, called for decisive actions towards visible support for Nigerian women to succeed in agricultural sector.

Aminu, who was represented by Mrs Modupe Jemibewon, Secretary to the board, identified funding as a major challenge to efforts in boosting women farmers’ participation in agriculture.

He, however, urged President Bola Tinubu to take up the challenge of maintaining gender into agricultural business in line with the renewed hope agenda.

Mrs Folashade Joseph, Managing Director, Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), identified women as indispensable to achieving food security, yet their potential remained underutilised due to systemic barriers.

According to her, empowering women societies can only be achieved by improving food security and addressing broader goals of poverty reduction, gender equality and sustainable development.

She listed some objective areas towards SDGs as improved or enhanced stakeholders understanding of gender policies and their impact on agriculture and export trade as well as promoting gender equality and increased women participation.

Joseph, however, said there was need to conduct a comprehensive review of existing gender policies and laws relating to agriculture and trade.

“In viewing gender policy, there is need for stakeholders’ engagement including government officials, farmers, exporters, women and youth to raise awareness and gather input; to provide tracing and capacity building programmes for stakeholders on gender sensitive agriculture and export trade practices,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

Gender

Minister urges action to protect rights, dignity of women, girls

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By Justina Auta

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has stressed the need for deliberate action to protect the rights, safety and dignity of women and girls across the country.

She made the call at the launch of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Abuja on Monday with the theme ‘Unite Campaign: Towards Beijing to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls’.

The minister, who described GBV as a societal issue and an impediment to development, expressed concern over the statistics in the country.

She said the statistics show women and girls at great risk, stressing that “the growing trend represents gross violation of human rights and undermines the very fabric of the society, thereby preventing women and girls from achieving their full potential.

“Gender-based violence is not just a women’s issue; it is a societal issue, a human rights issue, and an impediment to our nation’s development.

“The statistics before us on  GBV in Nigeria remains deeply troubling. Even as we embark on this campaign today, a little child has just violated, a woman has just been abused, a young girl’s life is at risk somewhere in a community, all for no just cause.

“Current reports indicate that 30 per cent of Nigerian women and girls aged between 15 and 49 years have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.

“This violence occurs not only in homes, but extends to schools, workplaces and communities. Violence does not know any tribe nor creed, it cuts across social and economic boundaries. It affects both young and old”.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim, therefore, urged the media to amplify the voices of survivors, highlight success stories and hold perpetrators accountable, as well as educate the public against such act.

She said the campaign would focus on community mobilisation and education to challenge harmful cultural norms, stereotypes and practices that perpetuate violence.

“We will continuously engage traditional and religious leaders as community gate keepers,” she added.

Ms Beatrice Eyong, the Country Representative of UN Women to Nigeria and ECOWAS, also stressed the need for renewed efforts toward addressing gender inequality and violence against women and girls.

Eyong said 42 per cent of women were financially excluded, with women holding less than five per cent of elective positions.

According to her, this imposes significant economic loss, estimated at 1.5 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP annually, hindering development and progress.

She added that “GBV is everywhere, it is not good for neither the men nor the women. It has the capacity to reduce economic growth if this is not reduced, we will never come out of poverty. It is not just a human rights issue, it is an economic issue.

“The funding for gender equality and women empowerment has reduced, and as experts, we have to think of innovative ways to mobilise funds to fight the menace”.

Gautier Mignot, European Union Ambassador, said “we cannot help but commend the critical reforms that have been initiated by state government and civil society organisations, of which, we have started seeing progress”.

Represented by Toyosi Giwa, Technical Lead, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption ( ROLaC), Mignot pledged sustained advocacy “until perpetrators are held accountable and punished and every survivor gain access to assistance that they need to recover and heal”,

Mr Gabriel Aduda, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, said that in commemorating the 2024 activities, commitments would be re-enforced, while collaborations and empowerment of survivors strengthened.

Aduda added that “GBV remains a pervasive issue in our societies, transcending borders, cultures and socioeconomic status. It continues to rob individuals of their dignity, undermine families and hinder national development.

“In Nigeria, statistics paint a sobering picture, with a significant percentage of women and girls experiencing violence in their lifetimes. This is unacceptable, and we must act with urgency,” he said.

Aduda, therefore, stressed the need to move beyond rhetoric by amplifying voices, strengthening actions and deepen resolve to address the root causes of GBV.

“Every law we enact, every programme we implement, and every survivor we empower brings us closer to a Nigeria where women and girls can live free from fear and violence,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Features

Integrating gender response into Kaduna State education budget

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By Aisha Gambo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Education is catalyst to social, economic and national development. To achieve their potential, governments at all levels are encouraged investments in the sector.

Investment in education has the potential enhance access to quality teaching and learning process for upcoming generations and boost enrolment.

Such investment should not only be in the form of infrastructure but also instructional materials and capacity building for teaching and non-teaching.

This stimulates a safe environment and provides equal opportunities for girls and boys to be empowered and educated.

These equip them with the necessary skills realise their full potential and contribute to societal development.

However, some cultural and societal norms in Nigeria prioritise the education of boys over girls.

This has resulted to gender disparities in education attainment as girls face other barrier to access and complete their education.

According to UNICEF 7.6 million girls are Out Of School in Nigeria while 3.9 million at the primary and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level.

UNICEF further said that 48 per cent of OOS girls are in the northwest and northeast.

A survey by Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics in 2020 shows that 31.1 per cent of children within the primary school age are out of school, adding that 31.9 per cent of children within the junior secondary school age are out of school in the state.

However, the survey also revealed that the distribution of out-of-school cases in the state consist of 63.7 per cent male and 36.3 per cent female.

Government interventions in enhancing gender responsive education. 

Over the years the Kaduna state government has increased budgetary allocation to education sector to reinvigorate basic and post basic levels to enhance access to free and quality for all.

For instance, the state government earmarked N26. 2 billion for Education in 2024 approved budget.

The sum of N12.5 billion was allocated to the ministry of education; N2.7 billion to State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB)while the remaining N11 billion was shared among the state-owned tertiary institutions; schools quality assurance authority and library board.

The state also developed a 10-year Education Sector Plan (ESP) named Kaduna State 2019 – 2029 Education Sector Strategic Plan.

It is a comprehensive and strategic framework developed with support of development partners to guide planning, implementation and evaluation of education policies and programmes.

UNICEF says achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 which is inclusive and equitable quality education for all, a Gender-responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP) is essential.

This is because GRESP is a holistic approach to advancing gender equality in and through education, including learning and learning environments, teacher education and practice, curriculum and administration among others.

To advance gender equality in education, education systems need to be gender responsive by design which include funding of girl child education.

At the Kaduna State ministry of education, an exclusive department for gender ,now female education was created to tackle issues related to girl child education.

Each year, the department is funded to execute gender related programmes such as second chance education, sensitisation on gender based violence, creation of water and sanitation facilities in schools among others.

The director of planning in the ministry, Salisu Baba-Lawal, said that government prioritises gender equality and social inclusion as such has allocated a large sum of money to achieve it.

“We have provisions for gender in our annual budget which fund gender related projects.

” In 2021, a sum of N7 million was allocated to gender, N4 million was budgeted for the year 2022, N5 million allocated in 2023 and in 2024 , N12 million was allocated to female education”, he said.

Following the money

For many years, the gender department in the Kaduna State ministry of education has been conducting activities that address challenges of both girls.

But with the recent review in 2024, which changed the department’s name to female education it now prioritises female education.

However, that doesn’t stop it from conducting activities or projects that would benefit the male gender.

Though a detailed breakdown of the budget expenditures were not made available, the department explained the programmes and projects they conducted.

The Deputy Director, Female Education, Hajiya Aishatu Muhammad, that explained that the ministry had provided second chance for girls who dropped out of school due to early marriage or pregnancy.

She said that school uniforms, socks and sandals were provided for the girls while teachers were paid stipends for staying over time as most classes were done in the afternoon.

Another project the ministry was to provide Water and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools with boys and girls having separate toilets to ease themselves during school hours.

Abdullahi said the ministry with the support from World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project built toilets and boreholes making the school environment conducive for the girl child.

“It may interest you to know that, the ministry of education in collaboration with AGILE, nominated amongst the existing staff we have in the school ,a  Gender Based Violence (GBV) focal person.

“We even have a Grievance Response Mechanism (GRM)   officer and we have a suggestion box in the schools to serve as a channel for reporting incidents”, she said.

Abdullahi, who doubles as the AGILE focal person, said that since the implementation of the project, the enrolment, retention and completion of female students has increased as they now feel more comfortable learning.

Parents, expert call for improvement

Malama Hajara Abubakar, a widow and a mother of four girls, recounts her struggle in ensuring her children get an education.

“Their father died when three of them were in junior secondary school; I had to do menial jobs to get them learning materials and pay other expenses the schools may request even though it’s a public school.

“But when they completed their SS 3 I couldn’t afford to pay for their exams, so I married them off; I wanted them to further their education but couldn’t.

“So when my youngest daughter completed SS3, I raised N10, 000 and pleaded with my neighbour who was a head a teacher in a private school to assist me and she did.

“Now that girl is working and taking care of me ‘, she said.

Abubakar says there are many parents like her who cannot afford to pay for their children’s final exams, and urged governments to look into the matter.

In spite government’s effort to provide free and quality education to children and return out of school children to schools to school, some education experts say there is still need for improvement.

Hadiza Umar, founder of communication for children and international development, while commending Kaduna State Government’s effort in address gender parity in schools said there was need for gender related programmes and policies to be scaled up.

She also said some of the programmes like the second chance education, sexual health reproductive awareness campaign among others should cut across all the schools in the state.

Umar says giving free education to girls but leaving them to pay for their senior secondary school exams would not achieve the desired results.

“Government should focus on paying for SSCE and JAMB because most of them can’t move forward and can’t get certificates to continue to even get a job.

“They cannot get admission and are unable a job that can help them generate some funds and further her education’’, she said.

While some experts advocate payment of Senior Secondary School exams fees, others demand effective monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of gender programmes.

Dr Hassana Shuaibu, Senior programme Officer, Ace Charity, says a breakdown on the expenditure of the female education budget should be available to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation.

She reiterated the need for an education sector plan that is gender responsive and the importance of funding of GRESP as well as transparency and accountability of the education budgeting. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria**

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