The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has renewed the Federal Government’s resolve to showcase Nigerian-made fabrics to the global market to eradicate poverty, create job opportunities, and generate revenue.

Ms Kennedy-Ohanenye said this during a public presentation of newly acquired industrial, embroidery, and cutting machines for the upgraded sewing factory of the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.

“These machines form part of our plans towards sustainable empowerment of women to be self-reliant, contribute their quota at the family level, and also bolster the nation’s economic growth,” stated the minister. “For us, when our women are provided with sustained empowerment, the pressure will reduce for our men, and the issue of out-of-school children can be addressed because the women will complement their husbands in catering for the home.”

According to her, the industrial machines will form part of the upgrading plans at the sewing factory in the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development.

“We will extend this arrangement across the geopolitical zones to deepen our resolve to empower Nigerian women. We have concluded arrangements with some foreign investors to push our locally made fabrics to the global market to attract more revenue for our women,” she said.

Beni Lar, the House Committee chair on Science Research Institutions, commended the minister for her resolve to address the plight of women and vulnerable children.

Ms Lar also commended the ministry’s initiative to showcase Nigerian-made fabrics, which underscored the willingness of the present dispensation to change the narrative through gender inclusivity.

In a related development, the minister also received the first batch of tricycles under the Pink Riders Transport scheme, targeted at women’s empowerment and job creation.

She added that the scheme had been structured through a partnership with a financial institution that would provide three stages of banking services.

“They will provide loans for the women to procure the tricycles, to pay back the loans without interest, and to save money towards procuring their own tricycles,” she said.

(NAN)