By Chinyere Ogbuagu/Ukpa Ewa
The Anambra State Nigeria for Women Programme Scale -Up Project (NFWP-SU) has intensified stakeholders engagement efforts with a community advocacy visits to key stakeholders in Aguata Local Government Area as part of preparations for project implementation and sensitization activities under the project.
The advocacy visit held at Aguata Local Government Secretariat on June 18, brought together the Mayor of Aguata LGA, the Deputy Mayor, the traditional rulers and representatives of all the communities in Aguata, the councillors, women leaders, security personnels and other stakeholders committed to promoting women’s economic empowerment through the NFWP-SU initiative.
Speaking during the meeting, the Senior Technical Adviser (STA) to the project, Mr. Chinedu Nwakor, said the primary objective of the project is to institutionalize Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) and other platforms that promote women’s economic empowerment while expanding economic opportunities for unbanked women across Anambra State.
”This is your project and Anambra’s project. We are here to seek your support as we begin the recruitment of 100 Ward Facilitators across Aguata communities. We appreciate your support for the LGA Field Supervisor (LFS) and Women Affinity Group Support Officers (WAGSOs) and look forward to continued collaboration,” Nwakor said.
Also speaking, the State Project Coordinator of NFWP-SU, Hope Okoye, disclosed that the project targeted 6 LGAs as selected and approved by Governor Chukwuma Soludo across the 3 senatorial zones namely Aguata, Ogbaru, Njikoka, Ihiala Ayamelum and Awka-South with Aguata as Resource LGA targeting 600 Ward Facilitators, 6,000 Women Affinity Groups and 120,000 to 150,000 Women beneficiaries across the state.
She explained that the initiative is designed to empower women through livelihood collectives at the village and community levels, providing beneficiaries with financial literacy training, savings support, and other interventions to strengthen their businesses and economic activities adding that both indigenes and non-indigenes residing in the communities would benefit from the initiative.
Responding, the Mayor of Aguata LGA, Dr. Chibueze Ofobuike, expressed delight over the initiative and commended the state government for bringing the intervention to the area. “It is encouraging to see such a programme at a time when our people need interventions that can improve their livelihoods. Women in Aguata are hardworking and organizing them into groups and clusters to enhance their economic opportunities is a welcome development.”
The Mayor assured the project team of the Local Government full support and pledged to provide the necessary assistance and a secure environment through his office to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
As part of the advocacy activity, the team also met with the Aguata Council of Traditional Rulers led by its Chairman HRM Igwe Alex Azike, the Idu of Igbo-Ukwu. The monarch welcome the initiative and express confidence in the project potential to positively impact women and communities across the LGA and assured the team of the support of traditional institutions throughout Aguata.
The advocacy visit forms part of the project’s community entry strategy aimed at securing stakeholders buy-in, fostering local ownership and creating an enabling environment for the formation of WAGs.
Chinyere Ogbuagu and Ukpa Ewa are of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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