The First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has stated that the Godwin Obaseki’s administration is prioritising women’s economic empowerment, in order for them to be more productive, thereby moving the state and Nigeria forward.

Mrs. Obaseki made the disclosure in Benin on Tuesday, while declaring open a policy dialogue to reflect on women economic empowerment intervention and programming in Edo State.

The policy dialogue was organised by Edo State Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED) Advocacy  Coalition, which was supported by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).

The wife of Obaseki who was a special guest of honour at the event also stated that Edo government was ready and committed to adequately empowerinh the state’s women.

Edo First Lady, who was represented by the Managing Director, EdoJOBS, Ukinebo Dare, noted that Obaseki’s government had continually prioritised women’s empowerment through the administration’s various interventions targeted at improving women’s economic livelihoods and development.

The Coordinator of Edo State PAWED advocacy coalition, Mrs. Vivian Evbotokhai, in her welcome address, declared that Obaseki’s administration was taking the lead in investment in women’s economic empowerment.

She noted that the project was targeted at pushing for Edo government to fulfil its commitments for women’s economic empowerment.

Evbotokhai also urged women in Edo to be more industrious and supportive of the state government, while stressing that PAWED and dRPC had a responsibility to establish a platform for productive and continuous interface between the Edo state women’s economic collectives and women’s empowerment related Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

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While also speaking, PAWED advocacy coalition’s second lead, Mrs. Bliss Ojeruse, stated that Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) had been recognised as a bridge to glaring gender disparity across the globe.

She said: “It is recognised that investing in WEE, through training and financial support, boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality, in addition to other positive development outcomes.

“When a woman is given the same access to productive resources as men, on average, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30 per cent. Investment in women economic empowerment helps to reduce gender issues relating to land acquisition by allowing women secure rights to land, reduce difficulties in securing labour and credit, and prevent inequitable access to herbicides, fertilisers, and extension service.

“Ensuring economic opportunities for women is an important entry point for ensuring better education, health and nutrition outcomes for families. 

“In 2022, the Edo State government three specific projects for the women economic empowerment projects include Edo women for agric project – N10 million; provision of equipment for women/economic empowerment – N20 million; and the  construction and installation of cages (women and youth empowerment programme), with N40 million allocated to WEE in 2022, compared with N7 million in 2021, thereby constituting 471.42 per cent increase.”