By Oluwatope Lawanson
The Renewed Women’s Voices and Leadership Nigeria (RWVL-N) Project is strengthening Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs) across the country to advance gender equality.

The project is also strengthening WROs to advance women’s leadership and improve socio-economic wellbeing of women and girls.

Mr Emmanuel Olonade, Communications Specialist with the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation (VOWEF), gave the assurance in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

He issued the statement on behalf of Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Gender and Development Action (GADA), Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation (VOWEF), Women Aid Collective (WACOL), Women Radio 91.7FM, and other WROs.

Olonade said the five-year project implemented by ActionAid Nigeria with funding from Global Affairs Canada, was supporting women-focused organisations through institutional strengthening, funding, movement-building and advocacy initiatives.

He said the project was being implemented in Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Enugu, Imo, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, among other locations.

According to him, the initiative is designed to strengthen the capacity of WROs to champion gender equality while improving lives of women and girls across Nigeria.

“The project goes beyond programme implementation by helping participating organisations to strengthen their institutional systems, improve organisational sustainability and build stronger collaboration among WROs.

“It also promotes strategic communication and visibility to increase public awareness of interventions while documenting the impact of organisations working to advance the rights of women and girls,” he said.

Olonade said that the project was sustaining locally-led approaches to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Highlighting some of the interventions, he said the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) was implementing programmes in Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states under RWVL-N Project.

He said, “This is focused on women’s economic empowerment through financial literacy, entrepreneurship development and community engagement.

He said FOMWAN had also convened 56 traditional, religious and community leaders across 10 communities to strengthen support for women’s financial inclusion initiatives.

According to him, Gender and Development Action is implementing activities in Cross River to promote women’s economic empowerment and participation in decision-making, also under RWVL-N) Project.

He said the organisation was mapping gender gaps within the palm oil, cocoa and seafood value chains to identify opportunities for greater participation by women and support advocacy for more inclusive economic policies.

He disclosed that, in Enugu State, the Women Aid Collective (WACOL) was implementing the project through strategic partnerships with the aim of strengthening responses to gender-based violence and protecting the rights of women and girls.

He noted that WACOL had facilitated the inauguration of the Enugu State RWVL-N Project Steering Committee.

“This brought together government agencies and civil society organisations to promote collaboration and policy engagement.”

According to him, members of the committee include representatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Enugu Zonal Command, and some Enugu State ministries.

The communications specialist said the project was also promoting women’s political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said Women Radio 91.7FM was implementing programmes on voter education, candidate visibility and public discussions to encourage greater participation of women in politics.

He said participating WROs in Benue, Imo, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos and FCT were implementing interventions on women economic empowerment, prevention of gender-based violence, leadership development, institutional strengthening, and social inclusion.

Olonade urged stakeholders including government institutions, development partners and communities to support initiatives that would promote the rights, leadership and economic advancement of women.

He said that stronger WROs were essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable national development. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola