Nigeria’s President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has stressed the need to harness the country’s demography and numerical value for national progress. Tinubu said this on Wednesday, in a message to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD).
The president-elect saluted Nigerian women for their courage, strength, and contribution to national development.
In the message to commemorate the IWD, Tinubu said the theme for this year’s celebration, “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality,” was not only about how the country must mainstream women into the digital economy, but more importantly about catering for the broader issues of gender equity, equality, and health development needs of women and girls through specific policies and practices.
Tinubu stressed that in Nigeria, women had always played an important role in social, political and economic evolution. He said the story of many of the country’s heroines, like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, Hajia Gambo Sawaba, and hundreds of Aba Women, who fought for economic rights of women and contributed to the liberation struggle against colonialism, would continue to inspire generations to come.
Tinubu stated, “Embracing gender equity for us in Nigeria has progressed beyond technology adoption and participation in innovation; to a more deeper engagement about how we treat issues of economic justice, social mobility, and equitable (especially political) representation of women.
“Our population demography and development indices indicate that we can only progress if we harness the numerical value of the human resources the nation is blessed with.”
The president-elect noted that Nigerian women play a very important role in national life from the family units, where they nurture the children who would be the next generation of leaders, to the farmlands, markets and boardrooms, where they play the role of major economic actors.
He stated, “As we celebrate our women today, I hold sacred my promise to provide the enabling environment for these goals to become manifest and usher another dimension to the strength of Nigeria – our women.
“Doing this will renew hope in Project Nigeria and energise the much needed citizen engagement agenda of our administration.”
Meanwhile, Tinubu congratulated renowned economist and member of the federal government’s Economic Advisory Council, Dr. Iyabo Masha, on her appointment as Director of G-24 Secretariat.
The Intergovernmental Group of 24 on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G24) recently announced the appointment of Masha as Director of the G-24 following an extensive recruitment process. She would succeed Ms. Marilou Uy.
Tinubu noted Masha’s excellent knowledge of the economy, both nationally and internationally, as well as her rich ideas on a broad range of issues and policies. He described the appointment as appropriate and well deserved.
In a statement by his Media Office yesterday, in Lagos, the president-elect said, “Congratulations to renowned economist, Dr. Iyabo Masha, on her appointment by the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-four on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G-24) as Director of its Secretariat.
“To say this appointment is an excellent appointment is stating the obvious. Dr. Masha’s knowledge, experience and immense skills have prepared her for high offices.
“She has a deep understanding of the economy, both national and global, and parades excellent ideas on a broad range of issues and policies.
“All of that earned her an eminent place as a member of Nigeria’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council, directly advising the president on economic policy from 2019-2022.
“Having worked on a range of countries at the International Monetary Fund, Washington DC, developing non-programme policies for emerging market and low-income economies in Africa and Asia, her experience, I understand, aligns with the purpose of G-24, which is to coordinate the position of developing countries on monetary and development issues, particularly issues on the agendas of the IMF.”
He added, “I congratulate this proudly Lagos Dr. Masha on her achievement. I know that more of this kind of appointment will come her way as Nigeria and the world will always require her talents and experience.”
Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
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