OKPALAEKE BACKS NIGERIA FOR WOMEN PROJECT, URGES ACHINA WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE
By Chinyere Ogbuagu/Ukpa Ewa
The member representing Aguata I Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Emmanuel Anayo Okpalaeke, has thrown his weight behind the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project (NFWP-SU), urging women in Achina Community to actively participate in the initiative to improve their financial security.
Okpalaeke gave the charge when the Anambra State Project Coordinating Unit of the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up led by Ms. Hope Okoye, paid him an advocacy visit in Awka following a community entry sensitization held on July 9, at Achina Umuezeiyi Village Hall, Aguata Local Government Area.
The lawmaker described the World Bank-supported programme as a laudable intervention that would strengthen women owned businesses and improve the livelihoods of rural women. He noted that community participation had often been a challenge but expressed optimism that the people of Achina would embrace the programme once implementation commenced.
He commended the project’s self-selection approach, saying it would enable women to organise themselves into groups, promote transparency and foster ownership of the project. Okpalaeke recalled previous empowerment programmes he facilitated for petty traders in his constituency, stressing that the programme would complement government efforts at improving household incomes.
In her speech, during the community entry sensitization, the Anambra State Project Coordinator of NFWP-SU, Ms. Hope Okoye, said the programme was designed to economically empower women through savings, business development and financial inclusion rather than distributing cash to individuals. She explained that participants would be trained to become self reliant and build sustainable businesses.
Okoye stated that the programme targets underserved and unbanked women already engaged in one form of economic activity, irrespective of the size of their businesses.
The State Coordinator, while advising eligible women to take advantage of the opportunity, hints that the programme targets the formation of 6,000 Women Affinity Groups across the six participating local government areas in Anambra State, with Achina expected to establish not less than 50 groups, added that participants would be linked to financial institutions, health insurance services, National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment, markets and other service providers to enhance the sustainability and growth of their businesses.
Also speaking, the Local Government Field Supervisor, Dr. Ebere Okonkwo, said Achina was the sixth community visited under the community entry exercise. She explained that the programme, implemented by the Federal Government in partnership with the Anambra State Government and supported by the World Bank, seeks to improve women’s livelihoods through savings, enterprise development and access to economic opportunities.
Furthermore, the Community Institution Building Anchor for NFWP-SU, Mrs. Chiamaka Agbili, explained that each Women Affinity Group would comprise between 20 and 25 self selected women aged 18 above engaged in income generating activities. She said members would make weekly savings, access loans from their pooled funds and qualify for additional government support after demonstrating commitment and consistency.
Representing the President-General of Achina, Chief Tony Ezenwaka, the Administrative Secretary, Hon. Charles Ezenwaka, commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for extending the programme to the community, expressing confidence that it would boost the businesses and incomes of women. The Women Leader of Achina, Mrs. Vivian Orakwue also lauded the sensitization exercise, describing it as timely and enlightening, and urged women in the community to embrace the programme.
Chinyere Ogbuagu and Ukpa Ewa are of Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State