The Hon. Minister of women affairs Dame Pauline Tallen has chaired the 1st Project Steering Committee Meeting of NFWP in 2022, where she admonishes all to cover lost grounds, she also appeals to World Bank to be ready to disburse funds.
As the chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) which caters to the economic empowerment of rural and poor women in Nigeria, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG has admonished all the stakeholders – Governors of the six pilot States of Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, Taraba, Abia and Akwa-Ibom, the Honourable Commissioners and Chairmen of the Local Governments of the participating States to do everything possible to make up for the times lost when the project suffered some setbacks, so as to realize the objectives of the project for the remaining time scheduled for the project “so that we can put smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries.”
Dame Tallen made these appeals with a sense of urgency in her voice at the Federal Steering Committee meeting on the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) held at the Conference Room of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Thursday, 17th February, 2022.
The Steering Committee Chairperson of the NFWP urged all stakeholders to work within the time frame remaining for the project; specially urging the World Bank to get ready for her to flag off the disbursement of the funds to motivate and empower the rural women as all that are needed to be done have been made ready by the Federal Technical Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, FNSE, who gave an overview of the project as well as the achievements and plans already put in place to ensure the realization of the objectives of the project.
The Chairperson of the Steering Committee further sent words of assurance to the Governors of the pilot States of the project that she is ready to do all within her powers to cooperate and get the World Bank to disburse the funds to the women beneficiaries.
Dame Tallen described the NFWP as one project that is dear to the heart of the nation and to herself, expressing appreciation to the Country Rep of the World for initiating the project. She also described the role of the Local Government Chairmen as being critical to the success being targeted for the NFWP.
Tallen said the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration is determined to achieve success with the NFWP even within the short period left for the administration and therefore asked the Chairmen of the Local Governments and the Honourable Commissioners to come up with challenges confronting the desired objectives of the project as the administration cannot afford to have any further set-back for the project again. “Let me know the challenges facing you on the project so that I know how to engage your Governors. They are my brothers and I know they will help to remove every obstacle we are facing on the project.”
In the overview presentation by the Chairman of the Federal Technical Committee, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, FNSE, he revealed that the project commenced in May 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2023 using the multi-dimensional approach to overcome the main institutional and market failure limiting women’s economic outcomes in Nigeria.
The components of the project, he stated, include building social capital providing support to women affinity groups; livelihood programme which supports individual and collective livelihoods; innovations and partnerships through project management, monitoring and evaluation.
The overview listed the local governments that are involved to include Maiyama, Argundu and Ngaski in Kebbi State; Agaie, Gurara and Wushishi in Niger State as well as Bali, Zing and Takum in Taraba State and Obingwa, Ohafia and Isialangwa North in Abia State. The others are Onna, Oruk Anam and Ibesikpo Asutan in Akwa-Ibom which just joined to replace Edo State that pulled out of the project; while Ogun State has Odeda. Yewa North and Ijebu North East.
For the five beneficiaries in the phase one of the NFWP, N884.5 million is to be disbursed to 15,118 women with an average, each will get N58,500. This will be ready for disbursement in 2022.
For the Women Affinity Groups to be ready for this World Bank Credit, they have all have pulled funds of over N1.31 billion (including savings and social funds, disbursed loan of over N650 million and contributed social funds of over N172 million.
