Timothy Omobude 
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, has emphasized the need to establish structures at the grassroots level, stressing that empowerment and effective governance must have a tangible impact on local communities.
This statement was made during the inauguration of the planning committee for International Women’s Day, held at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Speaking on the essence of the meeting, Mrs. Anani stressed that it was an opportunity for women to develop actionable plans for the future, beyond the International Women’s Day celebration.
According to her, ‘It is a time when women come together to discuss issues that affect us. We are the bedrock of the economy and more. We want to talk about the way forward, not just for International Women’s Day.’
‘What are our action plans? What do we intend to achieve? What growth do we want to see as women? What are we working towards? What do we want to accomplish? What impact do we want to make as women in the State? That is why we are here to plan for both the short term, March 8th, and the long term, over the next two years.’
She also highlighted the vital role women play in societal growth, emphasizing their integrity, honor, hard work, and expertise. ‘We want to show to the Government that we have women of integrity, who are honorable, hardworking, and knowledgeable. We want to portray our substance to the Governor and the Government, demonstrating that we are more than just decorative figures used for election purposes. We are bringing value to the table.’
Furthermore, Mrs. Anani emphasized the importance of unity among women, stating that when they come together with one voice, they can achieve anything. She added that the absence of unity hinders progress, and highlighted the need for women to stand together in solidarity.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief Bisi Idaomi, while speaking at the meeting, highlighted the Ministry’s focus areas, including gender-based violence, support for the elderly, victimized individuals, abandoned children, and people with disabilities. She also stressed that the Ministry is introducing elderly homes, shelters for the mentally deranged, and plans to support people with disabilities and albinos.
Chief Idaomi also emphasized the need to diversify and increase the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), promote women’s empowerment, and encourage participation in various sectors. She added that the Ministry aims to achieve economical strengthening and emancipation by supporting women in businesses, cooperatives, farming, large-scale industrial facilities, carpentry, and construction.
‘We want economical strengthening, emancipation, we want to go into businesses, we want to build cooperatives for our women, we want to go into big time farming, we want to go into big time factory, we want to go into carpentry, we want to go into areas we have never been before. We want to have women masons, women carpenters, we want to go into construction, we want a Cassava plant in Etsako West, we want to get the Cassava to produce ethanol. We want to go into Ehor, we want to get the juice factory that has been abandoned.’
She added that the Ministry plans to assign 192 young ladies to work with 192 wards in the State, collaborating with directors and permanent secretaries to identify and address local needs. The Ministry also aims to establish a database to track reports on various issues affecting women, ensuring regular updates for Governor Monday Okpebholo.
