Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has threatened to sue states that have failed to distribute sewing machines donated by the Federal Government for women’s empowerment. She also indicated that her ministry plans to retrieve the unused equipment.
Kennedy-Ohanenye made this announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during the opening of a two-day capacity building workshop for Commissioners for Women Affairs from all 36 states. The workshop, organized by the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD) in partnership with UN Women and the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria, focused on enhancing leadership and management skills.
The Minister emphasized that the machines, which include industrial sewing machines, rice milling machines, garri processing equipment, and other tools, were intended to promote entrepreneurship and socio-economic development among women.
She expressed disappointment that, as of now, she has not received any evidence of the machines being used. Kennedy-Ohanenye announced that the states which received the equipment include Anambra, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Oyo, Katsina, Gombe, Kebbi, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Niger, Bayelsa, Benue, Jigawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Minister warned that if the machines are not operational by September 13, she will pursue legal action and retrieve the equipment for redistribution. She criticized the idle state of the equipment, asserting that it hampers progress for women and sets a negative precedent.
Kennedy-Ohanenye acknowledged Benue for its prompt distribution of the machines, citing video evidence of their use within 48 hours. She reiterated that investing in such equipment is a more effective use of the ministry’s funds compared to other programs and encouraged immediate deployment of the machines to meet market demand.
