The wife of the former governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has challenged Nigerians to establish new values and create an enabling environment to address gender inequality.
Erelu Fayemi issued the challenge while delivering a lecture titled “Breaking Barriers: Empowering the Next Generation of Nigerian Women in Business and Public Life” at the launch of the Titi Tomori-Ponnle Foundation in Osogbo on Saturday.
Fayemi, who noted that Nigeria ranks low on gender equality, emphasised that stakeholders must “prioritise legislative and policy frameworks to bridge the gender justice and equality gap, champion the Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill at both the national and state levels, and ensure equal representation for women in appointments.”
She further advocated for sustainable partnerships between women and men, safe and less traumatic education for the girl child, and consistent investment in the girl child’s development.
Calling on men to be responsible and God-fearing providers for their families, Fayemi warned that meaningful progress cannot be achieved without the full participation of women.
“There should be gender-friendly legislation that provides an enabling environment for women to achieve their full potential in the country,” she said.
In her address, the former deputy governor and initiator of the foundation, Grace Titilayo Tomori-Ponnle, stated that the cornerstone of development and national progress is the empowerment of young people and women.
She disclosed that the concept for the foundation stemmed from a deep-seated vision to create a society where every youth and woman can reach their full potential, achieve economic independence, and actively participate in shaping their communities.
Tomori-Ponnle explained that the decision to launch the foundation was inspired by firsthand observation of the challenges faced by youths and women in society.
She said, “Their resilience, creativity, and unwavering spirit inspired the creation of this foundation.”
However, she lamented the lack of desired results from some empowerment programmes, noting that hardship had forced beneficiaries to sell off their tools of empowerment.
Tomori-Ponnle outlined the foundation’s four pillars of empowerment to include belief in the power of education as the greatest equaliser; commitment to comprehensive skills development; provision of microloans and grants, and partnerships with financial institutions to create sustainable pathways to economic independence; and recognition that health is wealth.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, urged well-meaning Nigerians to invest in humanity through the promotion of skill acquisition initiatives, entrepreneurship, and human development programmes.
Oyetola emphasised that human capital development is essential for nation-building. He called on Nigerians to rise and support the national dream of actualising the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.