The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, recently acknowledged the commendable performance of elected and appointed female public officials in the state. This recognition came during his decoration as a global ‘HeforShe champion’ by the United Nations Women in Ilorin. He expressed his satisfaction with the contributions of women in key positions, stating that their achievements validated his decision to appoint them.
AbdulRazaq expressed gratitude for the award, viewing it as an encouragement to continue promoting gender equality and women empowerment in the state. He highlighted the significant increase in female representation in the State House of Assembly since his administration took office in 2019, emphasizing the deliberate efforts made to advocate for gender inclusivity in governance.
UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong, praised AbdulRazaq for his commitment to gender inclusion and women empowerment. She commended Kwara State for its exemplary approach to ensuring women’s participation in governance, citing the balanced gender representation in the state cabinet as a noteworthy achievement.
Eyong urged AbdulRazaq to leverage his influence within the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to advocate for a 35 per cent affirmative action on gender inclusion. She emphasized the potential of such a policy to stimulate similar efforts at the federal level, thereby further advancing gender equality initiatives nationwide.
