Minister urges foundation to set good standard for younger women

Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment has tasked the Business and Professional Women (BPW) Foundation to set good standard for younger women to emulate.


Abubakar made the appeal when some members of the foundation paid her a courtesy call in Abuja on Thursday.

``You have to set standard that younger women should emulate and see as role model.

``We need people to keep reminding the younger ones while they need to do the right things at the right time,’’ she said.

Abubakar urged the foundation to key in with the ministry as it affects women in the areas of capacity building, entrepreneurship, accessing finance and building women integrity.

She said the ministry designed and developed policies that affectd the lives of Nigerians and so urged the foundation to act as an independent collaborator.

``I will want the collaboration to be an independent one so that whatever we are doing and not doing well you should be able to give us an independent point of view for us to make improvement.

``We rely on stakeholders like your foundation to give us independent feedback on what we are doing but if we do not get feedback, we will assume we are doing the right thing.

``And on the other side, you will collaborate with us on implementation of some of the programmes we are going to design,’’ Abubakar said.

She advised them to set up clubs that would mentor the older women, saying `` women need hand holding throughout their live’’.

In her speech, Mrs Adenike Adeyanju-Osadolor, Regional Coordinator Africa BPW International, said the foundation's objective was to develop the professional, business and leadership potential of women at all levels.

Adeyanju-Osadolor said the foundation carried out such development through advocacy, mentoring, networking, skill building and economic empowerment programmes and projects around the world.

``BPW works to develop a comprehensive framework of structures to provide the necessary education, training and opportunities to help women achieve economic independence.

``We also help women assume their rightful place in business, the professions, in politics, and in all decision-making processes,’’ she said.

Adeyanju-Osadolor said BPW operated in 10 states in Nigeria and that it carried out capacity building and advocacy for women in three communities.

She said the foundation would have a pre conference on Aug 18, where 50 undergraduate women would be empowered.

Adeyanju-Osadolor solicited for the ministry’s support for the pre conference to build a database of professionals.