Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Ojora- Saraki has disclosed that United Nations estimates reflect that lack of gender parity costs sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria about $95billion a year.

She advised that in order to improve livelihood of their people, African countries should have both moral and economic responsibilities to transform respective economies through the promotion of gender equality.

Saraki made this disclosure at the celebration of the 112th International Women’s Day organized by the Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre (WSC) in Lagos where she was the special guest of honour.



She commended WSC for providing an invaluable service to families who require assistance due to tragic demise of their spouses. She specially commended WSC for organizing and implementing citizen education programmes which challenge specific cases of injustice and also promote a fair legislative agenda.
In his welcome address, Prof. Pat Utomi said that any society that is not able to harness the economic contributions of more than 50% of its population is a failed society.
Thereafter, he drew attention to the huge economic loss that Nigeria suffers arising from neglect of the economic contributions and potentials of women who represent about 50% of her population.
He condemned gender discrimination and pointed out that gender equality is easy to achieve if recognition and opportunities are provided to both sexes in addition to teaching people to respect each other particularly as children grow up into adolescents.
Prof. Utomi added that lack of access to education is a barrier to realizing the full potentials of people and that if women are empowered with appropriate education, the future of the next generation of Nigerians will be better.
In her keynote address, Dr Jadesimi said that the thrust of the 5th Goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is about gender equality and how women can support the world by leading sustainable initiatives and changes around the world.
She emphasized that achieving gender equality can create the jobs we need to sustain economies around the world.

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