Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, has said that her ministry would monitor the N2.1 billion project, aimed at promoting women’s engagement in peace and security in the North.
In a statement by the ministry’s Chief Press Secretary, Saghir El-Mohammed, Maina disclosed this in Abuja when the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to her.
She said the ministry was given the mandate in order to ensure a successful implementation of the project in the North.
Maina said the project was timely “as several women and children in Northern Nigeria, particularly the North-east, are helpless,” adding that “many of them are suffering from trauma as a result of losing their homes, husbands and children and need to be rehabilitated.”
The minister also urged the EU support for women political empowerment in the area of capacity building, mobilisation and empowerment of female politicians.
She said six Zonal Women Political Empowerment Offices and a Trust Fund to support women candidates had been established in the country.
The EU and the federal government had last week signed the agreement for the project, which is wholly funded by the European Union, to be implemented by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Earlier, Ambassador Arrion said the visit was to associate the ministry in the project’s monitoring and assessment, so as to ensure its smooth implementation.
Arrion said the “EU is also working towards projects like the immunisation of children and primary healthcare, food security, fight against trafficking and women’s participation in politics and governance.”