House of Representative honours late Deputy Chief Whip, Onanuga
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has again, stressed the significant contributions of women to Nigeria, describing them as a deriving force in the socio-economic growth of the country.
For this, Abbas said women should be allowed to take leadership positions in politics and economy.
He made the remarks in Abuja, on the final ceremony of the Women’s Policy Lab in commemoration of International Women’s Day.
The event was organised by the House of Representatives in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Gender Mobile Initiative.
Abbas said the commemorative ceremony was “a global reminder of the incredible strides women have made in fostering social, economic, and political progress and an opportunity to reflect on the persistent challenges that must be overcome to achieve full gender equality.”
He said: “Today’s occasion also allows us to acknowledge the important contributions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, whose commitment to inclusive governance has laid a solid foundation for women’s advancement.
Under his leadership, the Federal Government has continued to strengthen programmes and policies that promote women’s participation in key areas such as finance, entrepreneurship, education, and healthcare. These deliberate efforts reflect a recognition that when women prosper, the entire nation prospers.
Central to the efforts made by the 10th House, Speaker Abbas stated, is a Legislative Agenda that prioritises bills designed to enhance women’s representation, including proposals for special seats in legislative bodies and quotas within political parties.
He added that similar reforms have yielded transformative results in other nations, “and Nigeria – being a leading voice on the African continent – can not afford to lag behind.”
Abbas urged the state Houses of Assembly to endorse the bills and proposals when presented for ratification.
“Let us pave the way for a truly inclusive future that benefits us all,” he said.
The Women’s Policy Lab is a concept that linked female applicants with mentors and gender-based NGOs to develop solutions to the various socio-economic and political issues affecting women.
The candidates were grouped into five clusters, which identified gender-based challenges and formulated ideas and strategies that can solve them.
Abbas presented the winners in the competition with awards and cash prizes. While the first, second and third positions attracted N1million, N750,000 and N500,000 cash prizes, respectively, he declared a cash gift of N2million to each of the top three.
The immediate Deputy Chief Whip of the House, the late Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo-North Federal Constituency until her death on January 15, 2025, was honoured posthumously with an award of Excellence in Service.
Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affair and Social Development, Hon Kafilat Ogbara, in her welcome address, commended the Speaker for his advocacy for women inclusion and gender-based initiatives.
