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Speaker Ibrahima Advocates Increased Financial Inclusion For Women In Sub-region

Published

1 month ago

October 2, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

… as ECOWAS parliament ends 3rd extraordinary session

By Gloria Ikibah

The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for increased financial inclusion and investments to promote women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in the West African sub-region.

Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, stated this at the closing ceremony of the 3rd Extraordinary session and 2nd Parliamentary Seminar on Wednesday in Lome, Togo.

Speaker Ibrahima said that the session offered the opportunity for the regional Parliamentarians to reaffirm their commitment to address the myriad of challenges militating against West African women who are largely represented at the Parliament by the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA).

ECOFEPA also organized a symposium with thebtheme: “Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment of Women in ECOWAS sub region” on Wednesday October 2, 2024 to address the challenges women face in accessing financial services in order to promote economic empowerment.

The Speaker in her remarks called on the regional leaders and institutions to ensure that women have access to the resources they would need, whether it is a bank account, loan or investment opportunities to enable them realize their potential.

“It is clear that women are change agents and they should be supported in the key role that they play if we want to speed up the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Our collective responsibility is therefore to ensure that financial inclusion of women is not limited to access to financial services, but we must ensure it becomes a fundamental human right and a pillar of economic equality.

“Clearly the path to true financial inclusion and economic empowerment calls for concerted efforts of all members of the society to drive policies that will foster equity to enable women overcome the obstacles facing them.

“Let us bear in mind that the path to financial inclusion and economic empowerment is a long process. We need to advocate for equitable opportunities that will enable women blossom.

“Let us commit ourselves to the path where every woman will realize her full potential where economic barriers are eliminated and financial inclusion is a reality for all. This is how we can break the chain of poverty within our families and communities,” she added.

President of ECOFEPA, Veronica Sesay in her remarks said investment in financial inclusion for women will make the region more prosperous and egalitarian, devoid of oppression and discrimination against women.

She stated: “Entrepreneurship is the gateway to women financial redemption,” stressing that ECOFEPA is pushing for more financial resources that will empower women to be economically independent and to pursue their political aspirations”.

Former Vice President of Liberia and the Secretary General of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, noted that the Global Taskforce to empower one million Women in the Trade Industry by International Business Leaders in Washington has opened more possibilities for West African women to benefit from the initiative.

She quoted a report saying that closing the gender gap will trigger a $3 trillion GDP growth rate around the globe even as she called on regional leaders to ensure West African women have access to credit facilities to grow their businesses.

Naijablitznews.com reports that this year’s ECOFEPA symposium was to address challenges women face in accessing financial services, and aimed at unlocking women’s potential and driving regional development.

ECOFEPA was established in 2003 and inaugurated in March 2010. It comprises all female parliamentarians from the 15 ECOWAS Member States and provides a platform for these parliamentarians to unite and discuss issues affecting them as women and politicians.

News

At last, Marketers Agree to Crash Petrol Prices as Dangote Sells Fuel at Reduced Cost after Deal

Published

51 minutes ago

November 16, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said about 30,000 of its members will start lifting petrol from the Dangote Refinery The association’s president, Abubakar Maigandi, said that the refinery agreed to sell the product at N940 and N960, respectively He said the development means that petrol prices will crash at the pumps in the coming weeks following the new deal

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says over 30,000 of its members are ready to buy petrol in bulk from the Dangote Refinery. The association revealed that the petrol price from the mega refinery was about N940 per litre via ships and N990 via trucks.

IPMAN president Abubakar Maigandi disclosed in a television interview on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, that the petrol pump prices at its outlets will drop following the deal with the refinery. The association reached a deal with the $20 billion refinery on Monday, November 11, 2024, to purchase petrol, diesel, and other petroleum products directly. The agreement comes after months of negotiations following the exit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) as the sole off-taker of the refinery.

Petrol prices to crash by over N50 Maigandi explained that the Lekki-based facility had been obliged to let marketers buy petrol, diesel, and Kerosene to supply to their depots and retail outlets. The IPMAN boss updated Nigerians on the pricing, saying the refinery gave marketers two rates based on preferences. He said marketers can load at the gantry at N990 per litre or vial vessel transport at N940. Punch reports that the new price is lower than the N960 and N990 per litre on ships and trucks offered by the refinery last week.

The IPMAN helmsman disclosed that the partnership aims to ensure a consistent and affordable supply of petrol and other products nationwide. He stated further that petrol prices may crash by N50 or more, depending on the location.

PETROAN set up a meeting with Dangote Refinery According to Maigandi, the direct purchase of petrol from the refinery will end payments to intermediaries such as the NNPC and depot owners, saying that the cost will reflect on petrol prices in the coming weeks. The IPMAN president said the new arrangement will also end fuel scarcity as products will be available nationwide in all seasons.

Additionally, the management of the Dangote Refinery is set to meet with Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) officials to discuss petrol lifting. The group’s publicity secretary, Joseph Obele, said the refinery, through its president, Billy Harry, mailed seeking a business meeting.

Obele said Harry has inaugurated a team of seven persons to represent the association at the meeting. NNPC to now sell only Dangote petrol Legit.ng earlier reported that NNPC had announced that it stopped importing refined petroleum products. Mele Kyari, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, disclosed this while speaking at the Lagos’s Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists’ (NAPE) conference and said that the company now sources its fuel needs from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Kyari confirmed that NNPC has shifted away from importation and will source from local refiners, especially Dangote, according to BusinessDay reports.

Source: Legit

News

Police save abduct£d 14-month-old baby from nanny

Published

2 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have successfully rescued a 14-month-old baby, Grace Osamagbe, who was abducted by her nanny, Rejoice Chukwu, in April.

Commissioner of Police Umoru Ozigi told newsmen on Saturday in Benin, that the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit arrested Chukwu, 24, and her boyfriend, Destiny Uchechukwu, 28, in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom

According to Ozigi, the suspects abducted the child in Benin and collected a ransom of N160,000.

I lost my hands, girlfriend, dad’s landed properties survived depression; but I’m alive’0:00 / 0:00

“In spite of receiving the ransom, the suspects allegedly sold the baby for N500,000 to Doris Chiwendu in Owerri, Imo State.

“Following intense interrogation, police tracked down Chiwendu and another suspect, Jane Amaigbo, in Ubomiri, Imo State, and rescued the baby on November 9.”

The police commissioner explained that the suspects would soon be charged in court.

News

Ondo: Hoodlums attack INEC officials in Ogbagi Akoko, destr0y electoral materials, others

Published

2 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Naijablitznews

Some hoodlums have attacked and assaulted officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Polling Unit 19, Ward 6 Ogbagi in the Akoko area of Ondo State in the ongoing governorship election in the state.

According to a video posted on social media, the Presiding Officer (PO) of the polling unit said that the attackers destroyed all the electoral materials at the polling unit, stole their phones and purses, and physically assaulted them.

The Presiding Officer, who said that the attack happened shortly after a PDP agent at the polling unit was arrested by the police for tearing votes, said that her Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1) she identified as Bello Samuel, had been missing since they were attacked.

Narrating what happened, the Presiding Officer said, “As the process of the election was going on, a party agent from PDP tore a vote without my consent. I don’t know his name because he had not indicated his name.

“I was trying to address him but he asked me to do my work. In order to resolve the matter, the Kabiyesi of the community (community leader) came but he (the PDP) agent was trying to tear another vote when the officers (police) at the polling unit called the DPO for his arrest.

“They (police) asked me what I wanted and I said he should be removed or the polling unit should be canceled. Then, he was arrested and the election continued.

“Unaware, we discovered a gang of people parking the election materials and they beat us up – I and my APOs. Even till now, I haven’t seen my APO 1, Bello Samuel by name.

“Our phones have been stolen with our purses, and all the electoral materials have been destroyed except the BVAS which I escaped with.”

She said that before the hoodlums attacked them, “I called SPO and the officers called the DPO. After that, I know nothing preserved by grace.”