Wife of the Nigerian President, Mrs Aisha Buhari and South West Governors Monday emphasised the role of women in nation building, saying women are the bedrock of any family which in turn makes a nation.
The president’s wife and the governors converged in Lagos on Monday for the 16th edition of the National Women Conference organised by Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), themed ‘Strong family, Strong Nation, held in Lagos emphasised the need to accord women more recognition in the country to fast its development and transformation.
According to Aisha Buhari who was represented by the wife of Imo State Governor, Nneoma Okorocha, the importance of women to nation building cannot be over emphasised, adding that family values must be cherished and nurtured.
She said: “We must continue to emphasise the importance of strong family values, poverty, crime, declining school performance as some of the challenges a country could face when families are not cohesive,” she added.
In their various addresses, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, his counterparts in Oyo and Osun States, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola noted that if the country must make meaningful progress, the family, which is the mirror by which any society is measured, must be strengthened.
According to the governors, as much as the family is the reflection of the society, government at all levels must give priorities to issues as it affects the women, who are the bedrock of the family must also be empowered to flourish in her career and the home front.
In his goodwill message, Governor Ambode said while the importance of the family unit to the overall development of the nation was not in doubt, much emphasis must be placed in the commitment towards strengthening the family unit and building strong moral values.
He said his administration recognises the critical need for societal inclusion and thus has initiated policies aimed at guaranteeing equal opportunities and participation for all Lagosians.
He said that his administration remains totally committed to empowering women as well as protecting the girl-child against all forms of negative vices, while creating viable platforms for families to bond and recreate.
Also speaking, Governor Ajimobi said the family as the building block of the nation must be given top priority, therefore, according to him, women who holds the chord that binds the family together, must be empowered to thrive both in their career and the home front.
For Governor Aregbesola, if the family must be strengthened, the women who are saddled with the responsibility of building the home front must be encouraged and celebrated.
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