The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Helen Obareki, has acknowledged the “significant progress” made towards equality for women while admitting that more needs to be done to eradicate gender disparity in society.
Mrs Obareki is the daughter of the state governor, Umo Eno, who was appointed to manage the office of the First Lady following the passing of the Governor’s wife.
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According to a statement on Saturday from the Media Unit, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Obareki stated this during the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration in Uyo.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Accelerate Action”.
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Mrs Obareki regretted that girls were still being denied access to education while women were not allowed to serve in leadership positions in some parts of Nigeria.
She said women in Akwa Ibom have fared well under Governor Umo Eno’s administration, but more work was still needed to ensure women are given equal rights and opportunities in society.
“In various parts of the world, Nigeria inclusive, there are setbacks. Girls are still denied access to good education, and women are underrepresented in leadership roles. This casts a shadow on our celebration and reminds us of the need to recommit ourselves to accelerating action by ensuring that every woman, regardless of background, where she lives or worships, has the opportunity to thrive,” she said.
The coordinator said the various empowerment programmes of the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA) aim to give women a voice in society.
“As an organisation, the Golden Initiative For All, GIFA, has worked extensively on giving women the needed voice in our society. Through our various empowerment programmes and advocacy against Gender-Based Violence, we have provided vulnerable women with lifelines to mitigate the challenges they encounter.
“Under my watch, GIFA remains committed to rolling out life-saving opportunities to vulnerable women in our state. By God’s special grace, in the coming days and weeks, we will use our various channels to accelerate action in a bid to scale up the dignity of women in multiple domains.”
What Gov Eno said
In his address, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State congratulated the women on the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration and commended them for their innate ability to nurture whatever is committed to their trust.
Mr Eno pledged an inclusive government in which women are given full premium, as seen by the many appointments he has made.
He added that he would continue to support the women and inspire them for greatness, stating that the Office of the First Lady would be empowered to act decisively against all forms of Gender Based Violence and all obnoxious practices against women.
The governor announced the empowerment of 15 female drivers under the platform of the Akwa Ibom State Female Commercial Drivers Association with 15 brand new mini-buses for their transportation businesses and also directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and that of Youth Development to collaborate and work towards providing a young female automobile electrician with a workshop and tools once she is done with her internship in May.
‘Time to reflect’
Welcoming the governor, government officials, and Akwa Ibom women to the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Inibehe Silas, stated that the 2025 International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on and celebrate the incredible contributions of women in all spheres of life.
She noted that the theme of the celebration, “Accelerate Action”, is a “powerful call” to everyone to step forward, take charge and work relentlessly towards advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls to realise their full potential.
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In a keynote address, a retired permanent secretary in the state, Bassey Eshiet, condemned obnoxious cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, and land and property inheritance, gender parity meted out on women.
She called on women to take up opportunities in education and modern technology.
The event featured a march-past by women from the 31 local government areas, special performances by women from the Uyo, Eket, and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts, and an exhibition of agricultural products from all the local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akon Eyakenyi, the wife of the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Margaret Otong, and the State PDP Chairperson, Aniekan Akpan, were among the dignitaries who attended the event.
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