In a significant move toward supporting the welfare of Nigerian women and children, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has announced a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Women Affairs.
This declaration came during a pivotal meeting between Prof. Pate and the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, held in Abuja.
Addressing the pressing issues concerning women and children, Prof. Pate emphasized the paramount importance of their welfare, stating that bolstering collaboration between the ministries is integral to advancing the nation’s development agenda.
He explained on the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that women and children receive optimal healthcare services, underscoring the significance of a life course perspective in addressing welfare concerns.
Prof. Pate emphasized that there is need to prioritize the education, empowerment, protection, and nutrition of adolescents, laying the foundation for their future roles as caregivers and mothers.
Furthermore, he outlined the trajectory from infancy through early childhood, emphasizing the importance of a seamless transition from the educational system to adulthood.
The collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Women Affairs signifies a proactive approach to address the multifaceted needs of women and children, foster their holistic development and contribute to the overall advancement of the nation.
Pate highlighted the developmental journey of infants, emphasizing their progression through early childhood, the educational system, and secondary education into adulthood.
“They go on to be responsible youths, healthy, strong and transit into gainful employment to be productive members of society as they grow further, even when they are elderly to ensure that they have aged well,” he stated.
The minister reiterated his ministry’s alignment with that of women’s affairs regarding zero tolerance for the maltreatment of children, emphasizing the need for judicious use of resources earmarked for national development.
“In the application of development resources, whether domestic financing or external financing, we are in complete agreement. That all resources to this country whether they are tax revenue, grant resources or the development finance loans from multilateral institutions or banks, must be used effectively, efficiently and get to the intended beneficiaries,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Kennedy-Ohanenye stressed the importance of restructuring the implementation of loans and grants from international organizations and development partners to ensure they are utilized for their intended purposes.
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She expressed concern over the misallocation of funds, citing instances where loans intended for women’s projects were diverted to cover expenses unrelated to their purpose.
“There is a loan called Nigeria for Women Project, the last one was 100 million dollars and that money was used for advocacy, meetings, travels, rents and nothing was done for the women the loan was made for.
“The same goes for so many other loans, especially the World Bank loans, there are a lot of donations that if you calculate, every Nigerian should get N20 million out of which should change their lives,” Kennedy-Ohanenye lamented.
She advocated for a more transparent approach to loan administration, urging the exclusion of consultancy and advocacy expenses from borrowed or donated funds to ensure accountability and tangible impact on development initiatives.
“To checkmate it, a letter was written to the President to restructure the way the loans were administered,” she disclosed.
