Akwa Ibom Women Seek Dedicated South-South Enterprise Fund As SSDC Engages Women Groups On Development Needs, Partnership

 

By Asuquo Edem 

Women in Akwa Ibom State have called for the establishment of a dedicated South-South Women Enterprise Fund to provide grants and other financial support to women entrepreneurs, particularly those operating in rural communities.

The call was made by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Hon. Inibehe Silas Etukudo, who was represented by Mrs. Nkechi Udoh, at a stakeholders’ engagement with women’s groups organised by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) on Tuesday at La Mems Hotel, Uyo.

Etukudo said the proposed fund would help bridge the financial gap faced by women entrepreneurs and ensure that development interventions reach women at the grassroots.

“Our market women need grants, not just loans at high interest rates,” she said, stressing the need for interventions that would enable women to build sustainable livelihoods and contribute more effectively to the development of their communities.

The Commissioner also called on the SSDC to partner with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare in addressing gender-based violence, including through the establishment of safe homes and mobile courts across the three senatorial districts.

She further advocated skills development programmes for young women in emerging sectors such as solar energy, maritime business, information and communication technology and the oil and gas value chain.

Etukudo also proposed that women should have a minimum 40 per cent representation among Community Development Committees, contractors and beneficiaries of SSDC interventions.

She described the stakeholders’ engagement as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the Commission and women across the South-South region, stressing that women should not merely be beneficiaries of development programmes but active participants in shaping them.

The Commissioner assured the SSDC of the readiness of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare to provide its networks and data on women to support the Commission's interventions.

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom representative on the Governing Board of the SSDC, Hon. Chief Nkereuwem Christopher Ebong, said the Commission recognised the importance of women in shaping the development of the South-South region.

Ebong said the engagement was not intended to be a mere conversation, but an avenue to listen to women, understand the challenges confronting them and obtain ideas that could inform the Commission’s development interventions.

He said the SSDC's mandate encompassed interventions in infrastructure, human capital development, economic empowerment, agriculture, enterprise development and environmental sustainability, noting that the Commission was working towards improving the quality of life of people across the region.

According to him, women should be regarded as active participants and contributors in shaping development programmes rather than merely beneficiaries.

He urged the women to share their experiences and recommendations, saying their input would help the Commission design interventions that were relevant, inclusive and responsive to the realities of communities.

“A woman who gains access to knowledge can transfer that knowledge to her community. A woman who participates meaningfully in development can become a catalyst for positive change,” he said.

Ebong further emphasised the importance of partnerships involving government institutions, civil society organisations, development partners, private-sector actors, traditional institutions and community leaders in achieving sustainable regional development.

He said the Commission would continue to strengthen such partnerships and create platforms for stakeholders to contribute to the development process.

Also speaking, Mrs Iniobong Bob, wife of the Commissioner for Finance, commended the SSDC for organising the engagement, describing it as a needs-assessment exercise.

She advocated the establishment of agro-processing facilities that would enable women to add value to agricultural produce, create jobs and improve their incomes.

Bob also drew attention to the challenges posed by flooding to farms operated by women, urging the Commission to consider interventions that would help affected farmers protect their livelihoods.

Women participants at the event commended the Federal Government for the appointment of Ms Usoro Akpabio as Managing Director of the SSDC and called for greater inclusion of women’s groups in the Commission’s programmes and activities.

They urged the Commission to maintain regular engagement with women and ensure that their needs and perspectives were reflected in development interventions across the region.

The engagement formed part of efforts by the SSDC to interface with stakeholders and gather grassroots perspectives on the development needs of the South-South region. The Commission has recently undertaken similar stakeholder engagements with other groups in Akwa Ibom, including youth and traditional institutions.