Women's participation in politics, low shameful

An official of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), Wednesday, described as “shameful” the level of women participation in Nigeria’s politics.

Yahaya Umar, Chief Administrative Officer in OSSAP-SDGs, who said that governments have not done anything to improve women participation in politics, challenged the authority to show evidence if they have done otherwise.

Mr Umar described the situation as “terrible” and added that women’s participation has never gone beyond six per cent across the three tiers of governments.

“Government has not done anything to improve women’s participation in politics, if they have, let them show evidence,” Mr Umar disclosed at a two-day training of journalists on SDG’s and Developing a Network of Sustainability Reporters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The training was organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, in collaboration with Media Awareness and Information for All Network (MAIN) for media practitioners in the South-south zone of the country.

Mr Umar, who represented the Head Technical, Bala Yunusa, was speaking while presenting a paper entitled: “Implementing Agenda 2030 and the SDGs in Nigeria: Progress and Challenges.”

He said for Goal 2 of the SDGs to be achieved, it means massive investment in agriculture and large scale production of food to take care of the populace.

“If there’s no hunger in 2030, it means massive investment in agriculture, production of food in large quantities to take care of the populace.”

He further reminded the journalists that all efforts aimed at implementing the SDGs could be hampered by insecurity and called on the authority to address the menace.

Media, paramount in achieving SDGs

Speaking while declaring the event open, Oluseyi Soremekun, the National Information Officer at the United Nations Information Commission (UNIC), said the role of the media in the effective implementation of SDGs in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized.

Mr Soremekun noted that the training first started in Maiduguri, Borno State, two months ago, before moving to Kano, Abuja, Uyo after which it will be held in Enugu State for the South-east and finally in Abuja.

Mr Soremekun noted that all the 17 SDGs are mutually dependent on each other and said that the training was done to equip journalists on strategies needed in reporting SDGs.

In his closing remarks at the event, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong, thanked the organisers of the event and called for synergy between the United Nations Information Centre and Ministries of Information at state level to help in information dissemination on SDGs.

Other discussants at the event include, Lai Oso, a professor of Mass Communication at Lagos State University (LASU), Peter Esuh, a professor of Marketing Communication and Dean, faculty of Media Studies, University of Uyo; ;Ekaete Akpabio, a gender expert and lecturer at the University of Uyo and Jide Jimoh of School of Communication, LASU.

The Akwa Ibom State SDGs Desk Officer, Ime David, also made a presentation at the event.

The chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Akwa Ibom State, Amos Etuk, was among the over 40 media practitioners who attended the training.