By Dorathy Aninge
The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development on Monday inaugurated its official website and reporting portal.
The ministry also flagged off women agricultural empowerment and adult mass literacy programmes.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Theresa Ikwue, said that the launch of the digital platform demonstrates the ministry’s commitment to transparency, innovation and improved service delivery.
Ikwue further stated that citizens can now report issues, access important information from the ministry and benefit from government interventions without stress.
The commissioner added that the initiative was in line with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s seven pillars of strategic development, which emphasise the need for inclusive development, digital innovation and economic empowerment for the state.
“Our focus on empowering women through agriculture is strategic and deliberate because the Benue woman as a farmer plays a crucial role in food production and sustaining the family.
“Our aim is to enhance productivity, improve livelihoods and strengthen the economy of the state while we expose the woman to modern farming techniques, improved facilities and financial support.
“This is also an initiative of our President Ahmed Tinubu’s empowerment agenda for economic growth and agricultural development and the Benue State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Mrs Scholastica Ben-Sor, who continues to champion the welfare of women.
“Equally, our adult mass literacy programme education remains a powerful tool for transformation, as, through this programme, market women would acquire basic literacy skills that will help them read, write and keep simple business records.
“They can also access vital information and connect to broader opportunities in the digital world,” she said.
The commissioner pointed out that by combining the three projects, the ministry has adopted a holistic approach to women’s development, ensuring that the Benue woman is not only economically empowered but also intellectually equipped.
Ikwue further said the governor paid ₦450 million as a counterpart fund for the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-up, a World Bank initiative which has commenced.
“We have recruited staff for the project, and they have been sent to Ogun State for training, and the full implementation of the project would commence when they return.
“The programme intends to empower about 30,000 women, comprising 1,200 women from affinity groups with a maximum of 25 members per group in each local government area.
“This empowerment would transform women in local government areas (LGAs) and would improve the living standard of their families, while insecurity would drastically reduce as the women would be in a better position to support and guide their children away from crime,” she said.
Mr Cephas Abur, Group Head, System Support and Data Management, Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC), said the ministry’s website was successfully designed and deployed to serve as its global interface, providing access to programmes, policies and services.
Abur added that a website was also designed for the Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Violence Against Children (VAC) reporting portal, which is a very secure system that enables real-time reporting of cases.
He said the website also supports coordinated response mechanisms, provides centralised data for planning and intervention and also protects the identity and dignity of survivors.
“With this platform, the state can now digitally manage about 552 auxiliary social workers across all wards, coordinate 46 child protection officers across the 23 LGAs and monitor activities, incidents and interventions in real time.
“The website has strong data security that cannot be hacked and has confidential reporting channels and secure infrastructure managed by BIDC,” he said.
Mrs Magdalene Andor, a director with the Women Affairs Ministry, said Benue is blessed with human capital, but that many women still lack access to basic education, as more than 40 per cent of women in the state are illiterate, which limits their economic potential.
Andor described literacy as the key to unlocking economic empowerment because when women cannot read and write, they can access better jobs and start businesses as they would make informed decisions about their lives.
She called on stakeholders to support the programme and seize the opportunity to work and build a better Benue.
While giving an overview of women agricultural empowerment, Mrs Ape Cheren said agriculture remains one of the strongest pillars of the economy and a tool for lifting families out of poverty.
Cheren, however, expressed concern that women, who make up a significant portion of the agricultural workforce, were often not empowered.
She said the women can’t access land, funding and the use of modern farming equipment, which is why empowering them in agriculture is key.
“Empowering these women in agriculture strengthens their livelihood, improves food security and builds resilient communities.
“With this initiative, we are not only investing in agriculture; we are investing in women as leaders and drivers of sustainable development.
“The ministry is committed to giving them access to agricultural training and modern farming practices to also support them with resources and opportunities to enhance productivity.” She said.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Margaret Adamu, who launched the website on behalf of the governor, congratulated the ministry for achieving a milestone and bringing the ministry closer to the people.
NAN reports that a practical session was carried out on how to use the website and report cases of abuse either anonymously, as an NGO or as a citizen. NAN
