Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has said that his administration had been taking practical steps to address the barriers that hinder women’s participation in the socio-economic development of the state.
The governor spoke on Thursday while delivering a goodwill message at the “She’s Included Gender Inclusion Conference” at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The conference had as its theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Resilience for Sustainable Economic and Financial Inclusion”. The event was chaired by the Vice President Kashim Shettima and brought together top policy makers, gender experts and activists, financial institutions, and development partners.
“Breaking barriers requires courage, resilience, and collective action. It demands that we challenge and dismantle the systemic, structural, and social obstacles that hinder women’s and girls’ full participation in economic and financial life.
“In Kaduna State, we have been taking practical steps to address the barriers that hinder women’s participation in the socio-economic development of our state. We have put in place robust legal frameworks that will guide our implementation of programmes and projects for women’s economic empowerment.
“We recently launched three innovative and inclusive policies. They are: The Kaduna State Women Economic Empowerment Policy, the Women Peace and Security Action Plan, and the Youth Peace and Security Action Plan.
“Other policies and legal instruments that guide our women economic programmes and projects implementation in Kaduna State include; Kaduna State Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Policy, Kaduna State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law (2018), Kaduna State Gender Affirmative Procurement Policy (2024), Kaduna State Social Protection Policy (2020), Kaduna State Child Welfare and Protection Law (2018), and Kaduna State Disability Law (2023).
“The Kaduna State Women Economic Empowerment Policy is not just a document; it is a commitment —a commitment to invest in the potentials of women and youths by providing them with the necessary resources, skills, and opportunities to succeed.
“We recognize that empowering women economically is essential for sustainable development. By fostering entrepreneurship, providing access to education, and ensuring financial inclusion, we are paving the way for a brighter future for all,” the governor said.
He also said he seized the opportunity to highlight some of the efforts of his administration in improving the state’s economic landscape and ensuring the economic and financial viability of women.
“Our achievements include equipping women and girls with ICT skills, supporting women – run businesses with grants, targeting women in the distribution of agricultural inputs, training women on the use of modern agricultural techniques, prioritizing women in the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, and facilitating the opening of bank accounts for women so that they can benefit from State and Federal Governments Social Intervention Programmes. In the 2025 Budget, we provided the sum of 5 Billon Naira for the Women Economic Empowerment Fund.
“For us, empowering women is not just a moral imperative, but an economic necessity. When we invest in women, we invest in the future of our communities, our economy, and our nation. Women economic empowerment must not be seen as a matter of optional charity, it is a strategic imperative.
“Women economic empowerment holds the key to the revitalization of the agricultural sector and the critical nano, micro, small and medium enterprises. We cannot make progress in our poverty reduction efforts without deliberately channeling financial support to women,” he added.
Several speakers at the event commended the Kaduna State Government for being the first to sign an Executive Order on Financial Inclusion.
“Through our Financial Inclusion Programme, we have opened over 2 million bank accounts for poor, vulnerable and underserved persons to enable them to benefit from State and Federal Government’s social intervention programmes. A large percentage of the bank accounts opened were for women,” he said.
