News

Why We Don’t Sponsor Female Politicians — UN Women

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2023

…Gives Guidelines On How To Access Fund

Beatrice Eyong, United Nations, UN, Women Country Representative for Nigeria and ECOWAS, has explained why the body cannot financially sponsor female politicians.

Eyong said that the UN Women does not sponsor female political candidates due to policy restrictions existing in various countries and also that some funders say Nigeria has a lot of money,

Eyong spoke in Lagos at a workshop organised by the UN Women and the government of Canada in partnership with the Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre, WARDC.

She spoke in response to an appeal made by Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, a member of the House of Representatives and former Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, to the UN Women and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

Akande-Sadipe, while delivering a keynote address, had appealed to the UN Women and NGOs to consider funding the campaigns of women political candidates as a means of helping them overcome the burgeoning challenge of finance.

Eyong said: “I have always advocated this also, even while in New York; that money be given directly to candidates.

“However, there is a problem with the rules that govern financing campaigns.

“Sometimes, some countries may allow it while others may not. Some countries have restrictions on direct funding of political campaigns by international organisations.

“Another thing I must put on the table is that when we are mobilising funds, what they (funders) tell us is that Nigeria has a lot of money and does not need money.

“So, we face difficulties mobilising funds for middle-income countries. When I was in Mali, I had nearly double the budget that I had in Nigeria because the argument is always that Nigeria has money and does not need money.

“This is the truth.

“We, however, are working on the electoral process so that it can be gender-responsive even though we are not giving money directly to candidates. So, we are working around the candidates to create a favourable environment.

“With the funding from Canada, for example, we have been working with owners of media houses to influence how the media is reporting on women, especially women in politics.

“Among other things, we worked with the Girl Guides to mobilise rural women to vote for women candidates. We have also mobilised private sector CEOs to support women candidates.

“In addition, in terms of capacity building, we have worked with INEC and security agencies to ensure a gender-responsive security during elections.

“We have also set up three resource centres for women in politics. Also, we mobilised traditional rulers.

“Amid the many things that we have done, the law does not yet allow us to give money directly to candidates to fund their campaigns.”

‘How to access UN Women fund’

Eyong, however, advised that funding from the UN Women can be better accessed collectively, through a formally organised platform; and not individually.

“Another way you can have funding is if you are together. If we have a platform for female parliamentarians, it is easier to tell funders to fund your activities.

“Even when put together at the zonal levels, such platforms can easily have access to funding,” she said.

Earlier, Akande-Sadipe had said: “UN Women and other non-governmental organisations love you for your efforts; but we need money.

“Women’s access to money to finance their political aspirations is very limited.

“It is very important that you identify credible women and begin to finance their projects and campaigns, including vehicles, media, and more.

“We need those tangible cash assistance. The training centres are brilliant ideas but what happens if you train me and I do not have the money?

“What has limited women in this part of the world is money.”

News

Ovia South West Council Chairman, Edobor Bags National Merit Award

Published

8 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

The Acting Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Charles Nosakhare Edobor, has bagged the 2025 Nigerian Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA).

He was awarded as the Best Performing Local Government Chairman in Nigeria (Security and infrastructure development, purposeful leadership).

Speaking after being conferred with the prestigious award, Edobor applauded the organizers for recognizing his administration’s commitment to localizing good governance.

He highlighted his leadership’s remarkable strides in building a sustainable, livable, and prosperous council area through numerous people-oriented programmes and projects-particularly in road infrastructure and the provision of basic social amenities.

Edobor dedicated the award to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and to the good people of Ovia south west Local Government Area.

He expressed satisfaction with the honour. He emphasized that the award would further spur him to work harder in pursuing people-centred programmes aligned with Senator Monday Okpebholo’s S.H.I.N.E and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Edobor commended Governor Okpebholo for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for local government administrations across the state.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening rural development, empowering youth and women, and ensuring the dividends of democracy reach every ward in Ovia south west local government.

Earlier, in his welcome address at the event which held on Wednesday at the National Merit House, Abuja, the National Coordinator of LOGMA, Chief Bayode Ojo, stated that the award was designed to showcase the achievements of local government chairmen and reward excellence in grassroots governance – particularly those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting grassroots development despite the challenges confronting the third tier of government.

He congratulated all the awardees for making the final list after rigorous scrutiny and spot-checking of some of their executed projects to verify the authenticity of their claims.

Chief Ojo further urged the awardees to continue to be shining examples of sustainable growth at the grassroots and in the country at large.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss

Published

9 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.

The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

More to follow…

News

Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

Published

1 day ago

October 23, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has launched two transformative initiatives designed to recalibrate traffic governance and restore environmental sanctity across the metropolis.

In a visionary bid to guarantee seamless mobility and safe commuting at all hours, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally instituted a 24-hour operational framework for traffic management and enforcement across Lagos State.

The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’s transportation governance.

It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods and services within Nigeria’s economic epicentre—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.

According to Giwa, the 24-hour operational regime epitomises the administration’s steadfast dedication to constant vigilance, operational efficiency and disciplined traffic regulation, especially as the metropolis approaches the festive period, traditionally characterised by heightened vehicular and commercial activity.

This information was contained in a statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.

He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.

“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Giwa stated.

A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialised unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.

In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Costain and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.

The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorised traders, makeshift structures and multiple environmental infractions.

During the operation, enforcement teams uncovered an illegal diesel dumping site and impounded substantial quantities of expired plantain chips and cheese balls, stored under unsanitary conditions—a testament to the government’s prioritisation of public health and environmental integrity.

The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitisation campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.

Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Costain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded.

Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.

Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order and discipline.

General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators and commuters to comply with government directives, utilise designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient and orderly metropolis.

He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement and civic responsibility.