Budget Ministry restates commitment to partner UN Women in promoting gender equality, empowerment

By Palma Ileye

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to strengthen its collaboration with the United Nations Women, UN-WOMEN, going by its strategic role as the coordinating organ for all Government projects, programmes and policies.

Bagudu in a press release issued yesterday by Olatunji Modupe Susan, Senior Information Officer, For: Director, Information, FMBEP, stated this while receiving in audience the UN-Women Regional Director and its team, who were on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.

He informed that the UN Women was the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women adding that it was globally regarded as a champion for women and girls.

According to the Minister, the organization was established in 2010 to accelerate progress on meeting the needs of Women worldwide.

He pointed out that the Organization supported UN Member States and set global standards for achieving gender equality while working with Governments at National and sub-national as well as Civil Society to carry out formulated laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure the standards were effectively implemented and truly beneficiary to women and girls, worldwide.

Speaking further, Bagudu said that the UN-Women worked globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stood behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life.

He added that the UN Women also coordinated and promoted the UN System’s activities in advancing gender equality, deliberation and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda.

Bagudu also pointed out that the UN women had implemented National State Action Plan, SAP, United Nations Security Council Resolution, UNSCR 1325, and Women Peace and Security, WPS, in Bauchi and Benue States, among others.

The Minister stressed that United Nations was set out for global market prospect to grow Nigeria’s economy.

Earlier in his remarks, the UN Women Regional Director, West, and Central Africa, Dr. Maxine Houinato advocated that the Government should be ready to support the non-governmental sector and the planning of the budget of the Country should also be implemented promptly.