The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is collaborating with WEMA Bank Plc on several empowerment programs designed to improve the lives of 500,000 women across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

The empowerment initiative, facilitated through the Ministry’s women cluster framework, will focus on skill development, agriculture, and the provision of grants and loans. Additionally, a segment of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives will be allocated to programs specifically aimed at supporting women.

The Minister of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye said, “With women and children comprising 70% of Nigeria’s population, empowering the gender through skill acquisition, access to grants and loans, as well as business tools will yield significant positive results.”

She added, “By doing so, Nigeria can expect a reduction in out-of-school dropouts, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as early marriages, allowing women to earn, make profits, and also contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of not only their families, but the nation at large.”

Kennedy-Ohanenye called on WEMA Bank and other supportive Nigerians to make women’s empowerment a key focus in their initiatives to help ensure a better future for the nation.

Earlier, Mr. Moruf Oseni, the Managing Director of WEMA Bank Plc, highlighted their engagement with the Ministry and other partners to explore ways to strengthen collaboration on women empowerment via the MOWA-SARA accelerator program.

During the meeting, Mr. Tunde Mabawonku, the Executive Director for Retail and Digital, conveyed the bank’s commitment to partnering with the Ministry through its cluster arrangement aimed at empowering women across the States. He assured that part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives will focus on enhancing the economic status of women in Nigeria.