Action Aid: Women’s Leadership Programme Holds Close-out Ceremony in Kwara, Reels off achievements in 5 years

Omowumi Omotosho

The Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria project on Tuesday held its close-out program to mark 5 years milestone of “rewriting the stories,” which began in Kwara State in the year 2019.

The event which is the closing ceremony of the 5 years program of reshaping women’s narrative through women’s voice and leadership, was held at Ilorin Banquet Hall, Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin with the attendance of various women and feminist organizations like Nuhu Fatimoh Foundation (NUFAT) , Global hope for women and children foundation ( GLOHWOC), Olive Community development initiative, Conced, Omu-Aran Women Forum, Golden Heart Women Forum, Ifedara Women Group, Unique Ladies Foundation, Gender Emancipation Support, Health is wealth, Gesthamie Grace and Mercy Women Development, Kwara state Marketers association women’s wing, Asiri-Abo Women Development Association, Golden sisters and Wanrusuru women development center, which has been tackling the barriers against gender equality through empowerment of women and girl by financial and technical aids made available by Action aid and global affairs Canada.

The CEO of Olive Community Development initiative, Oluwatoni Adeleke made it clear in her presentation that the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria project(WVL-N) in Kwara state ” has touched the lives of countless women, girls, persons with disabilities and their families” she disclosed that the WVL-N addressed gender-based violence against women and girls, women economic justice and empowerment programs, women’s peer education program and women political participation and leadership.

” With significant investment of #295, 866,744.66, the project has touched the lives of over one million individuals in the state, including women boys, and persons with disabilities”

She revealed that the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria through Global Affairs Canada and ActionAid Nigeria within 5 years (2019 – 2024) has made available financial investment by granting # 295,860,744.66 to various local women’s organisations of which 469,130 women were reached directly, 994,963 were reached indirectly and 664,989 were reached via social media in Kwara state.

In her overview of the WVL-Nigeria Project, the Project Manager, Niri Goyi,t who represented the Country Director of Action Aid Nigeria, Andrew Mamed, revealed that ActionAid and Global Affairs Canada designed WVL-Nigeria to implement a policy that will empower women organizations across the globe to eradicatevictimizationn and oppression of women.

She revealed that the WVL-Nigeria has partnered with various local women’s rights organizations in Enugu, Cross River, Lagos, Kwara, Bauch, and Federal Capital Territory between 2019 to 2024 to “improve management and sustainability of local women’s rights organizations in Nigeria, enhance the delivery of programming and advocacy to advance gender equality by local women’s right organization in Nigeria and increased effectiveness of sub-national, national, and regional women’s right platforms, networks and alliances to affect policy, legal and social change in Nigeria.”

She also disclosed that the organization has four sources of funding, which are grants, capacity building, networking, and building alliances and research documentation. She disclosed that # 275,445,478.52 has been raised independently via the training made available by action aid and partners to make the women self-reliant.

Moreover, during the project’s closing ceremony, the Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, represented by Mrs. Taiwo Funmilayo Bojuwon praised ActionAid Nigeria and its team for their dedication throughout the project’s duration. She highlighted that their efforts had greatly enhanced women’s leadership in the involved states.

She also thanked ActionAid Nigeria for their ongoing financial support for various programs aimed at improving the well-being of Nigerian women.

The minister stressed the importance of maintaining the project’s successes and applying the lessons learned, encouraging ActionAid Nigeria to extend the initiative to other states across the nation.

In the same vein, the governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who was represented by the Commissioner for Finance, D.r Hawau Nur, showed the governor’s appreciation to the Global Affairs Canada and ActionAids Nigeria for WVL-Nigeria initiative in Kwara, describing it as having a huge impact on Kwara communities.

At the event, the Kwara state government officials were in attendance. The first lady of Kwara state, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Afolashade Oluwakemi.

Also present were the commissioner for energy, Abdul Ganeey Kol; the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Ima; the Commissioner for tertiary education, Mary Arinad; the Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology; Damilola Yusuf; the Commissioner for Local government, Abdullahi Bata and others.

Likewise, Kwara state art and culture with a play titled “Clarion Call for Women” add more beauty to the event, as well as a poetry presentation by Amoke-Oloriki.