In an effort to ensure the participation of women in the economic development of the country, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Japanese Government in the area of agricultural empowerment as well as capacity building for the feminine gender so as to equip them with relevant skills and opportunities that would boost their contributions to the growth and advancement of the nation

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye made the disclosure today when she received the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Kazuyoshi Matsunaga and the Country Director, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in her office in Abuja.

She stated that when empowered agricuturally and with relevant skills, Nigerian women will be able to contribute meaningfully to their family values while also ensuring food security in the country, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration

Kennedy-Ohanenye informed that Nigeria is a diverse country with rich agricultural potentials, which, if properly harnessed, will not only make Nigeria a hunger-free country but also enable her join the comity of food exporting nations

The Minister who stated that Nigeria is interested in the collaboration, especially for the provision of high yield seedlings, modernised farming tools as well as training on best cultivation practices that can be adequately deployed in the 36 States of the Federation, including the FCT, added that it will also be willing to get adequate support from Japan in the area of preservation of perishable seasonal agricultural produce

Kennedy-Ohanenye thanked the Japanese Government through the Ambassador for their understanding, continued readiness to support and collaborate with Nigeria in all fields of endeavour, especially in the realization of the policy thrust of the present administration

In his remarks, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda assured that the Ministry will continue to provide an enabling environment for the full implementation of its mandate, especially in the area of empowerment of Nigerian women through skills acquisition, capacity building and economic development

He therefore urged the Japanese Government to explore possible areas of collaboration with the Ministry to ensure the training of its Social Services Officers as well as Gender Officers with a view to promoting professionalism

Ambassador Aduda thanked the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration for its dogged commitment to the well-being and overall development of the Nigerian woman in line with global realities

Earlier, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, stated that the delegation was in the Ministry to seek possible areas of collaboration on Agriculture, Social Service and Skills Acquisition for Women and Girls' in the country

He assured that the collaboration will introduce innovative ways of supporting children and the vulnerable in society while also improving income generation, poverty alleviation and reduction in unemployment challenges, especially at the grassroots.

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