UN Women - News Agency Of Nigeria

FCTA, UN Women train rural women on cassava processing, branding

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jul, Mon, 2025

Gender

FCTA, UN Women train rural women on cassava processing, branding

189 total views today

By Philip Yatai

The Women Affairs Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the UN Women have begun the empowerment of more than 150 women on cassava processing and branding for the international market.

Mandate Secretary of the secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Benjamins-Laniyi explained that the empowerment was under the FCT’s “Ba Yunwa: Ba Fushi” economic empowerment project with support from UN Women.

Ba yunwa: Ba fushi is a hausa expression which means “no hunger: no anger”.

She said that the beneficiaries were drawn from Sheda community in Kwali Area Council of the territory, to improve agricultural businesses in rural communities.

She said that the empowerment programme, which began on July 9, was to harness Sheda women’s entrepreneurial skills in processing and branding of “akpu”, a local delicacy for the international market.

Akpu, also known as fufu, is a popular Nigerian food, particularly among the Igbo people and other groups in the South-South region.

It is made from fermented cassava and often enjoyed with various Nigerian soups.

She said that 50 women were already trained as part of FCTA’s commitment to strengthening women’s resilience, improving food security, and enhancing overall well-being of residents.

She explained that the project was designed to empower women, girls, and children in the FCT, particularly the Akpu Women’s Group in Kwali Area Council.

She added that the goal of the project was to strengthen women’s resilience, improve food security, and enhance the overall well-being of residents in the FCT.

“It was also designed to provide access to a reliable source of water for the Akpu Women’s Group through the provision of a borehole for the Akpu Agro-processing Zone.

“This will enable the women to have access to a reliable source of water, which is essential for their agricultural activities.

“It was equally meant to equip the women with the skills and knowledge they need to start and manage their own businesses through business entrepreneurship and empowerment training.

“The overall goal is to improve the economic well-being of the women and their families,” she said.

Benjamins-Laniyi said that the project aligned with the administration’s commitment to gender inclusivity and sustainable development, a key part of the two-year celebration of renewed hope in the FCT.

She reiterated FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s commitment to empower women across the six area councils of the territory, in line with President Bola Tinubu ‘s “Renewed Hope Agenda”.

According to her, the women were being trained extensively to improve their cassava processing and branding skills.

“This will enable them to tap the potential of the international market.

“We are poised to strengthen women’s capacity in agricultural processing, improve food security and enhance the overall well-being of FCT residents.

“This we are doing through strategic empowerment of Sheda women engaged in processing of “akpu”, with improved skills, improved standards of hygiene, as well as branded packaging for export.”

The mandate secretary added that a work shed and a borehole were being constructed for the women to provide conducive working environment and water to support their processing businesses.

She thanked UN Women for the continued support and partnership to change the lot of women, girls and children in the FCT.

Also, the Head of UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mrs Beatrice Enyong, said that the empowerment sought to build women’s capacity towards enhancing food security in Nigeria.

Enyong, who was represented at the event by the acting Deputy Country Representative, Mrs Patience Ekeoba, said that the empowerment would address challenges faced by women in agro-entrepreneurship, income generation and self-sufficiency.

She commended the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat for the bold initiative aimed at creating a community-driven solution for women, families and the local economy.

“This programme seeks to address several challenges in our community, such as lack of access to entrepreneurship training, low participation in economic activities and poor access to clean water and sanitation.

“Other challenges include limited skills for managing small businesses and the persistent burden for women to provide for their families with little structural support,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

FCTA, UN Women move to strengthen childcare services in FCT

Philip Daniel Yatai
May, Thu, 2025

Health

FCTA, UN Women move to strengthen childcare services in FCT

266 total views today

By Philip Yatai

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in collaboration with UN Women has taken steps to strengthen childcare licensing, regulation, and service delivery in the FCT.

The Mandate Secretary of FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi disclosed this at a training of officials of the secretariats and other social workers on childcare services in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training had participants from various key players in the child welfare sector, including government representatives, childcare service providers and international partners.

Benjamins-Laniyi said that the goal was to build the capacity of the workers with a view to upscale the standards of operations in the childcare ecosystem of the FCT.

She said that the training was also organised to review existing structures, identify gaps in the childcare framework, and proffer sustainable solutions for the betterment of childcare services across.

She added that the training, organised in collaboration with UN Women and Caring Africa, became necessary toward adopting global best practices in providing standardized childcare Services in the Territory.

“We are here to interface directly with experts in childcare services to train and retrain our staff with standard modules of registering and administering childcare services within our regulatory framework that oversees operations of orphanage homes in the FCT.

“It is believed that this gesture will go a long way to upgrade our capacity and refine our approach to our services, especially, in an ever-evolving world of childcare economy,” she said.

Mrs. Beatrice Eyong, UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, acknowledged the grassroots impact of childcare and economic implications.

Eyong appreciated Benjamin-Laniyi for her dedication and continuous engagement to protecting the rights of women and children in the FCT and beyond.

Also, the Head of Child Development Department in the secretariat, Mr Idris Yahaya, said that the training would significantly improve the existing standard of operations concerning childcare.

Yayaha, a Deputy Director, added that the move would, in the long run, improve childcare service delivery across the territory.

“When a child is entrusted to care givers, for whatever reason, it entails all care on the child’s health, environment, safety, cognitive development, education and of course, record-keeping.

“Therefore, as a regulatory body, the training will improve our knowledge on childcare toward a more standardised and improved service delivery,” he said.

He disclosed that 136 orphanages and homes had been licensed and awaiting ministerial approval for crèche regulation, while the Development Control Department inspects buildings designated for new crèches.

On her part, the founder and Chief Executive Officer, Care Gap/Caring Africa, Ms Blessing Adesiyan, commended the Women Affairs Secretariat for reviewing the Guidelines for Operation of Orphanage in the FCT.

According to Adesiyan, the training will enhance effective implementation of the guidelines when approved.

She said that one of the quality indicators of good childcare was healthy development through promotion of emotional security, cognitive skills, and social interaction.

“There is also the need for a safe and clean environment with emphasis on hygiene, safety, and child-appropriate facilities, while qualified caregivers constitute trained staff with an understanding of child development and positive discipline.

“Engaging activities such as age-appropriate learning and play, outdoor engagement, and structured routines are also critical, including appropriate caregiver-child ratio to ensure personalised attention.

“There is also the need for parental involvement to encourage communication between caregivers and parents.” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Yakubu Uba