FG partners Atlanta on Sunflower, Jatropha export

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, has partnered with the City of Atlanta in the United States to cultivate and export Sunflower and Jatropha Curcas.

According to a statement signed by the Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Grace Njoku, on Tuesday, the partnership, spearheaded by the Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, is aimed at raising capital for small-scale women-owned businesses, as well as alleviating poverty, create job opportunities, and contribute to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

The minister made the disclosure at a two-day capacity-building workshop for Commissioners of Women Affairs, organized by the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, in collaboration with UN Women and the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.

“Kennedy-Ohanenye said the Ministry has written to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for land space in all the dams for seven years to enable women to embark on the project and is liaising with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for the provision of dams for the cultivation of the plants.

“As the Ministry of Women’s Affairs embarks on this pioneering project, a brighter future unfolds for Nigerian women. By harnessing the potential of Sunflower and Jatropha Curcas, the country is poised to witness a significant reduction in poverty, a surge in women’s empowerment, and a boost to the national economy,” the statement read.

The minister added that the medicinal plants will be cultivated in designated dams, with the realized profits shared among participants.

In another development, the minister called on State Commissioners of Women Affairs to complement the Ministry’s efforts towards alleviating the suffering of grassroots women by ensuring the immediate use of the sustainable empowerment equipment earlier distributed to them, like industrial sewing machines, rice, garri and cassava processing machines.

According to the statement, “She observed that if these equipment which have been distributed to 16 States of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, are put to use through the recognised cooperative societies in the areas, it will go a long way in transforming the lives of women in the States”.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Director General of Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr. Asabe Bashir, called for concerted efforts by governments at all levels, to enable women to realize their full potential. She stressed the need for strengthened institutions and systems that support women’s empowerment while making deliberate efforts to promote gender-sensitive policies and programmes.

Also speaking, the UN Country Representative to Nigeria, Ms Beatrice Eyong, represented by Mr. Zephaniah Aura, called for proactive measures to upscale the funding of the Ministries of Women Affairs in the country, to enhance their coordination mandate.

She charged women in the various fields of endeavour to deploy their soft skills of leadership, advocacy and lobbying, among others, to ensure the establishment of Resource Centres in all States of the Federation so as to ensure more sensitization and knowledge creation on the need to occupy decision-making positions in the country.