The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has charged women across the country to join hands in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim expressed regret that a large number of Nigerian girls trafficked under the false pretence of lucrative jobs are still stranded in various countries worldwide.
According to the Minister, mothers should cherish their daughters and help raise awareness in order to curb this disturbing trend.
She stated this on Tuesday during a working visit to Ogun State and to the Safe Centre and Women Development Centre, Asero, Abeokuta.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim called for more sensitisation and urged women to intensify the fight against human trafficking, saying, “our daughters are littering several countries taken out under the guise of getting them employment. Let’s please hold our daughters to our hearts, there are lots of beautiful opportunities for them in Nigeria.
“Let’s do a lot of sensitisation around this challenge for our daughters. Our girls are being trafficked for all kinds of demeaning and criminal enterprises. We want them here in Nigeria, we have better use for them here. When they go out, who will help us build the country?
“Let’s safeguard them against all sorts of attacks and exploitation, and anyone of them that want to go should go through the right route and not just under one funny arrangement. We must show everybody that we can be master at home, in the boardroom and the other room. We must do a lot more to protect our children.”
She praised President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to enhancing the status of women in the country, adding that the current administration hopes to produce a number of female billionaires, entrepreneurs, farmers and other professionals as the nation strives to reach its $1 trillion economy.
The minister stated that the President does not pay lip service to women’s development, which is why the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development’s budgetary allocation has consistently increased, and this has also been replicated at the state level.
“It means that we shall begin to witness the rise of women billionaires, women billionaire farmers, women billionaire entrepreneurs, it means that our work will translate to values in the hands because Nigerian women are hardworkers. Mr President has goal of $1 trillion dollar and currently we are at $500 billion; as country, this means that all of us can really achieve our targets and become that which we want to be, so we must all be ready to work to achieve this lofty goal,” she said.
Meanwhile, she applauded the Ogun State Government for making significant investments in women’s development, and announced donations of bags of rice and a cash sum of N2 million to support the state in creating better opportunities for women.
Speaking earlier, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, said that the four Sexual Assault Referral Centres, SARC – one each in Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu Ode and Ilaro – were built to serve as comfort zones for victims of gender-based violence, where survivors can also embrace vocational training in catering and hospitality, hairdressing and barbing, make-up, headgear tying, tailoring and other trades.
Adeleye said, “The vision is simple but profound: when a woman walks out of the SARC, she should not only be healing, but also building. She should be walking into a space where she can pick up her dignity, learn a trade, gain financial literacy, embrace entrepreneurship, and prepare for a new life of independence.”
