The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has issued a warning to states that have failed to utilize the machines distributed by the federal government for women empowerment, threatening legal action and retrieval of the equipment if they remain idle.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of a two-day capacity-building workshop for commissioners of women affairs from the 36 states, Mrs. Kennedy-Ohanenye expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in deploying the machines intended to boost women’s entrepreneurship and socio-economic development.
The workshop, organized by the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD) in collaboration with UN Women and the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria, aimed to enhance leadership and management skills among the participants, enabling them to lead effectively and make strategic decisions.
The minister highlighted that the machines, including industrial sewing machines, rice milling sets, garri processing machines, fish grilling equipment, and more, were distributed to several states with the goal of empowering women.
However, she lamented that, to date, there has been no evidence of these machines being put to use.
“It is unfortunate that up till now, I have not received any videos showing these machines in operation, which was the primary reason they were provided to Nigerians,” Mrs. Kennedy-Ohanenye stated.
“In Nigeria, it’s common for people to abandon projects and equipment, and we don’t want that to be the case here.”
The minister specifically named the states that have received the equipment, including Anambra, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Katsina, Gombe, Kebbi, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue, Jigawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
She warned that if the machines are not operational by September 13, she would take legal steps to retrieve them and redistribute them to those who need them.
“I will retrieve the machines and take them to people who need them,” she said.
“It is unacceptable to leave equipment idle while people suffer. This has been holding women back, and we won’t set a bad example.”
Mrs. Kennedy-Ohanenye also noted that the commissioners for women affairs in the listed states have yet to identify operational co-operative societies to receive the machines.
She, however, commended Benue State for promptly distributing the equipment, citing video evidence of their use within 48 hours of receipt.
The minister further emphasized that investing in equipment to empower women is a better use of the ministry’s resources than funding ineffective programs.
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