Mrs Falmata Zulum, Wife of the Borno State Governor, has called for urgent action to accelerate gender equality and women empowerment in the state.
She made the call at an event to commemorate the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD), on Saturday in Maiduguri.
The theme of the event is: “Accelerate Action.”
Zulum said the theme of the event underscored the need for stakeholders to step up efforts toward ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls.
“This year’s theme is a call to action, reminding us that we must work together to create a world where women and girls have equal opportunities to thrive,” she said.
She said the state government would distribute food items and cash to 3,000 vulnerable women across the 27 local government areas, to mark the occasion.
“Each of the beneficiaries will receive N50,000, rice, pasta and cooking oil, bringing the total support package to N150 million,” she said.
She commended the governor for his commitment to gender equality and women empowerment.
Mrs Zuwaira Gambo, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, lauded the governor for his support, and urged women to embrace opportunities for leadership and development.
Dr Zainab Gimba, a member of the House of Representatives, called for legislative reforms to eliminate gender based discrimination.
Gimba said that women continued to face challenges such as stereotyping, abuse and cultural discrimination, stressing the need for policy restructuring and repositioning to protect women’s rights.
She stressed the need for alignment for gender policies with international standards, including the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Maputo Protocol.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured panel discussions, speeches and testimonials from women beneficiaries of empowerment programmes.
