Women farmers in Bauchi State became the first set of women to receive federal government support in rice processing, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye on Thursday flagged off the cash transfer programme and distribution of rice processing machines to women in the State.
The minister assured his audience that the rice processing machines would be distributed to women as empowerment tools to tackle and address the plight and sufferings of women.
She disclosed that the machines have been sent to 16 states of the federation for women’s empowerment. The gesture, according to her, is one of the plans by the Bola Tinubu administration to tackle food insecurity in the country.
Kennedy-Ohaneye said, “I am focusing on women’s empowerment. I want less talking and less advocacies, I don’t want consultancy at all, you consulted enough without any outcome.
“So let’s focus on what was consulted before so that Nigerian masses will breathe fresh air as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the first time he came to office.
“And again, I want agriculture; I want women to feed their children so that as we partner with the army, we can also partner with some Chinese companies to enable us to get seedlings for our women.”
The Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mohammed Jatau, said the initiative by the federal government shows the government’s unwavering commitment towards the empowerment of women. The governor also reeled out some of the programmes by his administration to support women. He said, “I am happy to inform you that my government has recorded tremendous achievement towards supporting this vulnerable groups with skills acquisition materials like sewing and embroidery machines, pop-corn making machines, grinding machines, and hairdressing machines, among others”.
On the implementation of the Nigeria for Women Project, Mohammed said his administration has keyed into the project aimed at supporting women to actualise their potential and assured to work with the implementing agencies to ensure that women in the state tget maximum benefit from the project.
