Edo Women Affairs Ministry Backs Grassroots Empowerment Partnership Across 18 LGAs

By Rosemary Okoduwa

The Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has welcomed a proposed partnership with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to expand skills acquisition, economic empowerment and poverty reduction initiatives across the state’s 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The proposed collaboration was disclosed when the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Bisi Idaomi, Esq., paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Eugenia Abdallah, in Benin City.

Idaomi briefed Abdallah on the proposed framework, which seeks to leverage the structures and resources of the 18 local government councils to develop sustainable empowerment programmes for women, youths and other vulnerable residents across the state.

Welcoming the initiative, Abdallah expressed her support for the collaboration, stressing the need for innovative and sustainable approaches to funding and implementing grassroots empowerment programmes. She said the Ministry, in line with its mandate, would continue to work with relevant government institutions and development partners to ensure that interventions reach intended beneficiaries.

Abdallah advocated greater utilisation of local government autonomy and partnerships with development organisations to support empowerment initiatives, rather than placing the entire financial burden on the state government. “Going to the Governor all the time to ask for money is like overburdening him. It is better for us to generate ideas, secure development partners, and key into local government autonomy to fund these initiatives,” she said.

She noted that the approach would create opportunities for women and youths to acquire practical skills, establish businesses and become economically self-reliant, while contributing meaningfully to the development of their communities. Abdallah assured that her Ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to translate the proposal into practical opportunities across the 18 LGAs.

Earlier, Idaomi explained that the proposed framework followed engagements with the 18 LGA Chairmen and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu. She said the councils could support skills acquisition and vocational programmes in areas such as furniture making and other crafts, as well as assist beneficiaries to establish businesses and access wider commercial opportunities.

According to Idaomi, the initiative is also designed to reduce pressure on the state government’s finances by mobilising resources from local governments and development partners for sustainable grassroots interventions. She stressed the importance of establishing systems capable of delivering benefits beyond the tenure of the present administration, saying, “We can establish processes so that after our time, anybody who comes in will know that we’ve left a beautiful legacy.”

The proposed partnership is expected to receive further consideration through engagements with local government councils and other stakeholders, with emphasis on skills development, economic empowerment, poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods, in line with efforts to strengthen human capital development and improve the socio-economic wellbeing of residents at the grassroots.