Lara Adejoro
As part of its strategic intervention to improve access to women and girls in the state, the Lagos State government has set up a nine-member committee to domesticate the National Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy.
This was made known by the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Cecelia Dada when a delegation from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies and the Development Research and Projects Centre paid a follow-up visit on the implementation of the guidelines set up to domesticate the WEE policy in the state.
The national WEE policy was launched in 2023 as a policy guide designed to provide financial inclusion, gender mainstreaming, access to opportunities and markets, skills acquisition, and closing all gaps hindering women’s development and growth in Nigeria.
While commending the NIPSS and dRPC for selecting Lagos State as one of the cohorts at the subnational level to work with in domesticating the policy, Dada mentioned that it is in line with Governor Sanwo Olu’s vision for gender inclusion and economic empowerment of all Lagosians.
She noted that several WEE engagements have been implemented in the state, but it was expedient to domesticate this National WEE policy to guide its implementation.
Dada is the state is committed to domesticating the policy, and as a show of commitment, she noted that the committee selection that would drive the process would commence immediately, following the engagement.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Yemi Kalesanwo, reiterated the Ministry’s unwavering commitment, adding that Lagos State is fully dedicated to domesticating the policy, with the ultimate goal of significantly improving the lives and livelihoods of women in the state.
Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof Ayo Omotayo disclosed that the visit was a follow-up advocacy engagement to discuss the implementation of actionable steps towards the adoption, domestication, and implementation of the WEE policy at the state level.
He revealed that the institute and the dRPC are working closely with seven states from the six geopolitical zones to domesticate the policy in the country in the next two years, adding that additional cohorts of subnational will then be supported to domesticate the policy.
In his remarks, the dRPC Director of Projects, Dr Stanley Ukpai, commended the Lagos state government for its innovative governance and inclusive approach to development.
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