….Move to strengthen healthcare, skills acquisition, gender equality, family welfare
By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have forged a strategic partnership to advance women empowerment, youth development, gender equality, healthcare delivery, skills acquisition and family welfare across Nigeria.
The partnership was reaffirmed in Abuja on Friday when the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, led the management team on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, at the Ministry’s headquarters.
Receiving the delegation, the Minister described the Ministry as an institution for every Nigerian, stressing that its mandate extends beyond women and children to include strengthening families and protecting vulnerable members of society.
She said the partnership would promote coordinated government action and deliver sustainable social development across the country.
“This is your Ministry. It is a Ministry for families, for women, for children, for the vulnerable and indeed for every Nigerian.
We cannot achieve national prosperity in isolation. Strong institutions must collaborate, strengthen systems, document results and scale impact for the benefit of Nigerians,” she said.
The Minister commended the NYSC for over five decades of nation-building through youth mobilisation and community service, describing the Scheme as one of Nigeria’s most enduring institutions.
She also welcomed statistics presented by the NYSC indicating that Nigerian tertiary institutions have produced more female than male graduates consistently since 2021, describing the development as a significant milestone in the country’s gender equality efforts.
According to her, the data would support the implementation of the Ministry’s recently launched Roadmap to Equality 2030 and guide future policy interventions.
“These statistics are significant because they reflect the progress Nigeria has made in educating the girl-child.
They also provide valuable evidence that will enrich our policy framework and help us plan more effectively for the future,” she stated.
Hajiya Imaan disclosed that the Ministry was reviewing national workplace policies to make them more family-friendly through the establishment of workplace crèches, review of the National Crèche Policy, flexible work arrangements and remote working options to support working parents and improve productivity.
She also highlighted initiatives aimed at promoting economic empowerment through mobile enterprise models, including mobile tailoring, beauty services, healthcare, mechanics and other home-based businesses capable of creating sustainable livelihoods for women and young people.
The Minister further proposed deeper collaboration with the NYSC in the nationwide commemoration of International Women’s Day, International Day of the Girl Child and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
She also called for expanded collaboration in healthcare delivery through the deployment of corps medical personnel and mobile clinics to schools, markets, workplaces and rural communities.
In addition, she advocated structured entrepreneurship and career development programmes for corps members at orientation camps nationwide.
The Minister identified the NYSC as a strategic partner in driving nationwide advocacy on gender-based violence, digital literacy, child protection, family values and other social development priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Earlier, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Nafiu, commended the Minister for her visionary leadership and commitment to advancing the rights and welfare of women, children and families across the country.
He said the growing number of female graduates entering the labour force required deliberate workplace reforms, including the establishment of crèches in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to support working mothers.
“The Ministry has made remarkable progress in promoting girl-child education and gender mainstreaming.
The positive outcomes we are witnessing today are evidence that these investments are yielding measurable national results,” he said.
The NYSC DG reaffirmed the Scheme’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the Ministry through community development services, healthcare outreach, entrepreneurship development, skills acquisition programmes, advocacy campaigns and rural development initiatives.
He also pledged to provide updated national graduate statistics to support evidence-based policymaking by the Ministry.
“With our nationwide presence and community development structure, NYSC is well positioned to support the Ministry in delivering life-changing interventions to women, children, families and vulnerable communities across the country,” he added.
At the end of the meeting, both institutions agreed to designate focal officers to develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the partnership, with priority attention to healthcare outreach, youth empowerment, community advocacy, entrepreneurship development and social protection programmes nationwide.
The collaboration underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency partnerships to promote inclusive development, gender equality, youth empowerment and the wellbeing of Nigerian families in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
