By Salisu Sani-Idris
Africa Women Conference (AWF) and the management of the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), have pledged to deepen their ties so as to tackle problems unique to African women.
They made the pledge during a courtesy call paid by the AWC delegation led by Dr Jummai Ahmadu, to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sa’adatu Liman, in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area on Saturday.
In her address, Ahmadu said the visit was to congratulate the vice-chancellor on her recent appointment, which she described as well deserved.
She also said the visit was to deepen ties with the university on future collaborations aimed at tackling problems unique to African women especially in the rural areas.
Ahmadu said that previous collaborations had been successful, especially the establishment of the African Women Conference Leadership Development Centre for Women and Young People at the university under the Centre for Gender Studies.
“This initiative, supported by the former vice-chancellor, had already seen the graduation of its first set of students.
“I acknowledge the unwavering support from the university and emphasize the importance of women education and empowerment,” she said.
Ahmadu revealed that the conference was established in March 2018 to address problems unique to African women that ‘western solutions’ could not adequately resolve due to cultural differences.
She, then, emphasized the significance of the collaboration between the conference and the university, highlighting its uniqueness in the country.
Ahmadu affirmed AWC’s commitment to supporting the university and expressed hope that Liman would continue the work started by her predecessor, Prof. Suleiman Bala-Mohammed.
In her remarks, Liman thanked the AWC team for the visit and felicitations over her appointment.
She recalled being part of the delegation that first received the AWC as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and emphasized the importance of Africans coming together to solve their problems.
Liman, who shared her experience at the 60th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in Washington, where she presented a paper highlighting the inefficacy of many international policies in Nigeria.
She further stressed the need for African solutions to African problems.
Liman expressed her support for the AWC’s initiatives and acknowledged the progress made since its inception, restating the university’s resolve to deepen ties with the AWC to achieve more goals.
She encouraged further collaborations with key stakeholders, including First Ladies, to ensure that the policies proposed by AWC were embedded in national policies.
The vice-chancellor also emphasized the importance of conducting good research to address community problems and ensure the effectiveness of the conference’s initiatives.
Liman also assured the AWC team of the university’s continued support for their programmes and expressed her willingness to support the expansion of their initiatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the courtesy visit by the Africa Women Conference team to the university was a significant step in deepening the collaboration between the two entities.
Both parties expressed their commitment to continue working together to empower women through education and leadership development.
The meeting was concluded on a positive note, with mutual assurances of support and a shared vision for the future. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
