BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has informed market women in the FCT that the era of marginalisation and absence of women in key leadership positions must end, as the 2027 general elections inch closer.
National Chairperson of NAWOJ, Hajia Aisha Ibrahim Bura disclosed this during a marketplace advocacy programme held at Wuse Market, Abuja, organized by NAWOJ FCT in collaboration with partners.
She declared that women must no longer remain passive participants but active to influence outcomes, take leadership, and win elective positions.
Bura commended NAWOJ FCT for taking advocacy directly to the grassroots, describing the marketplace outreach as a bold and impactful step toward empowering women where it matters most.
She urged the market women to prioritise their health while taking deliberate steps towards leadership and active participation in the 2027 general elections to enhance women’s representation in governance.
"No more silence on gender-based violence. No more ignorance about health and reproductive rights. No more exclusion from economic opportunities across the value chain. And certainly, no more absence of women in leadership as we approach the 2027 elections," she said.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ FCT, Comrade Bassey Ita Ikpang said the initiative was designed to take information, empowerment, and life-saving knowledge directly to the grassroots.
"As women journalists, we go beyond reporting, we advocate. That is why we are focusing on vaccine awareness, women’s rights and empowerment, reproductive health, and women’s participation in politics," she stated.
Ikpang advised women to always speak out, speak up and seek help stressing that women must be alive to be married.
The Executive Director of Vaccine Network, Dr. Chika Offor addressed vaccine myths and misconceptions, particularly emphasizing the importance of HPV vaccine uptake.
She urged women to ensure their children are fully immunised, noting that vaccines remain a critical tool in preventing life-threatening diseases.
In his presentation, Dr. Ejike Oji spoke on reproductive health and emphasized the importance of women enrolling in the five Million Women Database initiative.
He explained that the platform is designed to empower women through access to health information, telemedicine, skills development, and economic opportunities.
Dr. Oji reiterated his organisation’s commitment to building a digital ecosystem that supports women especially those in the informal sector to improve their livelihoods, visibility, and access to services.
In a keynote address on "Women Access to Raw Material Value Chains: A Pathway to Economic Empowerment, Inclusive Growth, and National Development," the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) emphasized the need to integrate women into the core of Nigeria’s economic value chains.
The council commended NAWOJ for creating a strategic platform that connects policy discussions to the grassroots, noting that markets remain the true heartbeat of commerce and livelihoods.
It highlighted that although Nigeria is richly endowed with raw material from cassava and cotton to shea butter, sesame seeds, and solid minerals, women still operate largely at the lowest and least profitable levels of the value chain.
RMRDC stressed that expanding women’s access to raw material value chains is critical to national development, stating that when women are empowered economically, families thrive, communities prosper, and the nation grows stronger.
Some of the market women who participated in the outreach commended NAWOJ and its partners for the initiative, noting that it improved their understanding of reproductive health, immunization, and the importance of participating in electoral processes.
They pledged to vote for credible candidates irrespective of political affiliation and called on the government to ensure that electoral processes remain free, fair, transparent, and inclusive.
NAWOJ National Chairperson reaffirmed her commitment to grassroots development, including plans to support infrastructure that will improve mobility within the market, particularly for women.
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