The Jigawa State government has begun the training of 600 women in environmental sustainability to enhance their social and economic wellbeing.

The beneficiaries will receive training through the Waste to Wealth Initiative being implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Managing Director, Jigawa State Environmental Protection Agency (JISEPA), Adamu Sambo, stated this at an event to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day, on Saturday in Dutse.

The theme of the event is: “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment,” aimed to unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all.

Mr Sambo said the state would partner with the UN agency to expand the scope of the programme and mobilise participation across the 27 local government areas of the state.

He stated, “We want to ensure that more women in Jigawa State can participate and benefit from the upcycling and waste-to-wealth programme.’’

He said the occasion was not only to celebrate the strength, resilience and achievements of women, but to also highlight the role they play in environmental sustainability and economic development.

According to Mr Sambo, the inclusion of women in environmental sustainability is not just a matter of equity but a necessity for creating sustainable solutions.

Mr Sambo described women as agents of change in their communities and beyond, stressing that when empowered, they would implement practices that foster environmental conservation, waste reduction and climate resilience.

He stressed that through upcycling and the waste to wealth initiative, women could be provided with the chance to protect the environment and secure a better future for their families.

Mr Sambo said that the programme provided opportunities to convert waste into wealth in spite of global challenges in waste management that threatened the environment.

The exercise, he said, would encourage integration of upcycling waste into marketable products, to ensure economic empowerment and environmental impact.

According to him, the initiative will bridge gender gap by providing marketable skills in waste upcycling, entrepreneurship and sustainability, to enable young women to contribute to household income and national economic growth.

He said the training exercise would leverage on the Youth Opportunities Marketplace (YOMA), also an initiative of UNICEF.

The director said that YOMA was an innovative digital platform ecosystem aimed at connecting young people to learning, earning and social impact opportunities.

He said the programme would enable the youth to access online courses, mentorship, skill building challenges and employment opportunities.

He added, “YOMA will equip young women with digital and entrepreneurial skills, connecting them to real world economic opportunities beyond their immediate environment.”

Mr Sambo commended the state government, Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria (WAPAN) and other stakeholders for their support to the agency.

He reiterated commitment to ensure women inclusion to transform waste into valuable and marketable products.

The Wife of Jigawa State governor, Amina Namadi, lauded the initiative, adding that women inclusion in environmental sustainability would provide a visible impact in the state and across the globe.

Mrs Namadi urged the participants to avail themselves of the opportunity to sanitise their environment and change their lives for the better.

(NAN)