The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development on Saturday July 5, 2014 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with development partners on gender issues to promote the welfare of women and enhance their ability to realize full potentials.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Habiba Lawal, who signed the MoU on behalf of the Ministry, noted that the purpose was to bring to focus the support from the Development Partners Group on Gender (PDGG) which is presumed encompassing and strategic.

“The signing of the MoU is in accordance with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in 2005 which aims to improve transparency, accountability and effectiveness in the use of development resources. The PDGG is a forum for sharing information, coordination and harmonisation of all the efforts of development partners. It is a forum to support a proactive, systematic and result-oriented agenda for improved gender equality and women empowerment in Nigeria,” he said.

“Key principles inherent in the group were those enunciated in the Paris Declaration, where Development Partners commit to implementing common arrangements for planning, funding, disbursing, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on donor activities and aid flows at country level. We expect that the partnership will help in developing structures, consolidating activities in the areas of common concern towards the shared goals of gender equality and women empowerment.”

Habiba Lawal thanked the development partners for their contributions to women development in the country over the years and for providing the platform towards enabling the Ministry to move the country’s gender agenda forward. She also expressed optimism that the partnership would further promote and improve the finances for gender equality in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Deputy Country Director of ActionAid – Nigeria, Ifeoma Charles-Monwuba said that the PDGG did brought together development partners on gender to enable them articulate their support to the Nigerian Government and people, in order to avoid duplication and ensure a more productive service delivery.

She said that most of them have tried to identify with the Paris Declaration and to align with Nigeria’s development plans and priorities and not to run their own agenda, but to try to support the country’s plan, especially the gender ministry to deliver on their mandate.

“We are deeply committed to continually providing that support. Signing this MoU brings together a framework that will coordinate an engagement with the government of Nigeria through the ministry. It will also assist in streamlining our work and ensuring that our support is effective and needed in Nigeria,” Charlse-Monwuba emphasized.

Source: Government of Nigeria